GrC: Animals In War Memorial

One of the places I have begun to really enjoy is Hyde Park, located just across the street from our flat.  The park spans over 350 acres with over a dozen memorials, fountains and statues to view.  One of the memorials, the Animals in War memorial, had a significant impact on me.  We went on a walking tour of the First World War Memorials located in London and this was the last memorial we visited.

Animals in War Memorial - Hyde Park

Although it isn't visible in this picture, the memorial reads "They had no choice" written on the bottom right corner of the memorial.  Because of my love for animals I found this remembrance of the animals who participated in wars throughout British history to be very special.  The design is different than any of the other statues or memorials I had seen, with two donkeys walking up a set of stairs through a gap between two giant concrete walls. One of the walls has an engraving of a combination of different animals that were used during the wars, and the opposite wall has "Animals of War" in raised block text.  The two donkeys are headed towards a giant horse sculpture with a dog following behind on the other side of the walls. Although it was a long walk to the memorial, I am glad we made the trek and had the opportunity to learn about what it stands for.