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Be Kind To Animals
No matter what type of animal we meet, they deserve to be treated with kindness and respect. Animals may not speak as we do, but they can feel fear, comfort, trust, and care. These poems remind us that showing kindness to animals is one way we can make the world a gentler place.
Animals often give us companionship, joy, and loyalty, asking very little in return. May these Kindness Poems encourage you to treat every living creature with compassion and to remember that even small acts of kindness can make a difference.
Updated September 9, 2026, by Catherine Pulsifer.
Kindness To Animals
Poet: Unknown
They have no voice to ask us
For the pity which they need
With shame they cannot task us
How're their hearts may bleed.
However they despise us
For all the hurts they bear
They cannot criticize us
Or say that we're unfair.
We call them God's dumb creatures
And yet we know they feel.
For oft their anguished features
Their sufferings reveal.
They cannot ask for kindness
Nor for our mercy plead
Yet cruel is our blindness
Which does not see their need.
Hurt No Living Thing
Poet: Christina Rossetti
Hurt no living thing:
Ladybird, nor butterfly,
Nor moth with dusty wing,
Nor cricket chirping cheerily,
Nor grasshopper so light of leap,
Nor dancing gnat, nor beetle fat,
Nor harmless worms that creep.
Be Always Kind
Poet: Joseph Ashby-Sterry
Speak gently to the herring and kindly to the calf,
Be blithesome with the bunny, at barnacles don’t laugh!
Give nuts unto the monkey, and buns unto the bear,
Ne’er hint at currant jelly if you chance to see a hare!
Oh, little girls, pray hide your combs when tortoises draw nigh,
And never in the hearing of a pigeon whisper Pie!
But give the stranded jelly-fish a shove into the sea,-
Be always kind to animals wherever you may be!
Oh, make not game of sparrows, nor faces at the ram,
And ne’er allude to mint sauce when calling on a lamb.
Don’t beard the thoughtful oyster, don’t dare the cod to crimp,
Don’t cheat the pike, or ever try to pot the playful shrimp.
Tread lightly on the turning worm, don’t bruise the butterfly,
Don’t ridicule the wry-neck, nor sneer at salmon-fry;
Oh, ne’er delight to make dogs fight, nor bantams disagree,-
Be always kind to animals wherever you may be!
Be lenient with lobsters, and ever kind to crabs,
And be not disrespectful to cuttle-fish or dabs;
Chase not the Cochin-China, chaff not the ox obese,
And babble not of feather-beds in company with geese.
Be tender with the tadpole, and let the limpet thrive,
Be merciful to mussels, don’t skin your eels alive;
When talking to a turtle don’t mention calipee -
Be always kind to animals wherever you may be.
Kindness To Animals
Poet: Gisborne
Turn, turn the hasty foot aside,
Nor crush the helpless worm:
The frame thy wayward looks deride
Required a God to form.
The common Lord of all that move,
From whom thy being flowed,
A portion of his boundless love
On that poor worm bestowed.
The sun, the moon, the stars, he made
To all his creatures free;
And spreads o'er earth the grassy blade
For worms as well as thee.
Let them enjoy their little day,
Their lowly bliss receive:
Oh! do not lightly take away
The life thou canst not give.
Popular Pages
Discover more poems and quotes about animals, kindness, friendship, and the lessons we can learn from the creatures around us.
Read Faithful Friends for words about the loyalty, companionship, and comfort that animals can bring into our lives.
Enjoy the Grasshopper Poem for another reflection on one of nature's small and interesting creatures.
Conclusion
Kindness toward animals is shown in the simple choices we make each day. We can protect them from harm, care for the animals that depend on us, and show respect for even the smallest creatures. May these poems remind you that compassion should extend to all living things and that a gentle heart can make a meaningful difference.
Find another Kindness Poem to Encourage and Inspire