Hitler championed animal welfare causes
Given the awful atrocities he wreaked on the people of the globe, it is perhaps surprising that Hitler was a strong supporter of animal welfare. There are ongoing disagreements about whether Hitler was a vegetarian, notwithstanding his opposition to horse racing and hunting. Animal Welfare was mentioned in many Nazi legislatures. One item that looked to limit vivisection, the practice of operating on live animals for the sake of experimentation and scientific inquiry, is claimed to be less far-reaching than previously assumed. Either way, it is difficult to reconcile any apparent concern for animals from Hitler with the complete lack of compassion and humanity that he showed as a leader.
Hitler had a real fondness for children and animals. They did, however, serve a dual role. Putting a lovely child or animal next to a less-than-adorable politician is one of the oldest propaganda techniques. It's simply a fact of reality that images of attractive things can perform a lot of heavy work, regardless of who's in the shot. The National Socialist Party never shied away from capitalizing on this reality. Albums containing photographs of Hitler exemplifying an empathic, fatherly attitude were created and distributed with the assistance of Heinrich Hoffmann. Some of the most famous ones were shot with Bernhardine Nienau, often known as Hitler's Sweetheart, or his dog, Muck (one of the five billion German Shepards he owned).
This is not to say he didn't like animals or children. Not every photograph in circulation today was taken for propagandist objectives. Many were taken from his own albums. Furthermore, there are decades of anecdotes in which he displayed strong feelings for both. “His only real affection seems to have been for his dog, Foxl, a white terrier that had strayed across from enemy lines. Hitler taught it tricks, reveling in how attached it was to him and how glad it was to see him when he returned from duty.” Ian Kershaw explained. Hitler adored being among children and animals. It's not difficult to see why. Both possess attributes that many adults lack, such as unconditional acceptance, devotion, and an honest yet uncomplicated view of the world.
