--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I hope to make people realize how totally…" description: "\"I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child must that we will be kind and take care of the..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/james-herriot-11324_animal_i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totall_320173.jpg" --- # I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals… ![“I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child must that we will be kind and take care of their needs.” quote by James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/james-herriot-11324_animal_i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totall_320173.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/james-herriot-11324_animal_i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totall_320173.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/james-herriot-11324_animal_i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totall_320173.jpg) > “I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child must that we will be kind and take care of their needs.” [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Animals depend wholly on human kindness, mirroring a child’s trust. **In simple terms:** Animals need our care like children need love. Key Takeaway Treat animals with compassion. Themes compassion responsibility human‑animal bond Mood empathetic reflective Type advice inspirational When to use this quote - veterinary practice - pet ownership - animal rescue - education programs Key Concepts ethics caretaking Questions to Reflect On - How does your behavior affect vulnerable beings? - What steps can you take to protect them? A Different Perspective Human neglect can cause suffering. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Care](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/care/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/if-having-a-soul-means-being-able-to-feel-love-and-loyalty-and-3/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [If I don't take care of myself and be kind to myself, then I can't take care of anyone else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-riesgraf/if-i-don-t-take-care-of-myself-and-be-kind-to-myself-then-i-can-t/) [Beth Riesgraf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-riesgraf/) > [I don't have children, so I can focus on my mission to save helpless animals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-ostrosky-stern/i-don-t-have-children-so-i-can-focus-on-my-mission-to-save-helpless/) [Beth Ostrosky Stern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-ostrosky-stern/) > [Man should regard lower animals as being in the same dependent condition as minors under his government ... For a man to torture an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-buckner/man-should-regard-lower-animals-as-being-in-the-same-dependent/) [Ed Buckner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-buckner/) > [“This book is written for our animals, who trust us with their safekeeping. To keep them healthy, we turn to modern medicine, but it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-thacher-jensen/this-book-is-written-for-our-animals-who-trust-us-with-their/) Wendy Thacher Jensen > [“There is nothing but dependency in the worldly life. Constant dependency! Animals are dependent, humans are dependent too; how can we afford that? It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/there-is-nothing-but-dependency-in-the-worldly-life-constant/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [Be kind to others before you take care of yourself; make whoever you're with feel like they matter.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/be-kind-to-others-before-you-take-care-of-yourself-make-whoever-you/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [Remember that children, marriages, and flower gardens reflect the kind of care they get.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-jackson-brown-jr/remember-that-children-marriages-and-flower-gardens-reflect-the-kind/) [H. Jackson Brown, Jr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-jackson-brown-jr/) > [If I don't take care of myself and be kind to myself, then I can't take care of anyone else. I think when my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-riesgraf/if-i-don-t-take-care-of-myself-and-be-kind-to-myself-then-i-can-t-2/) [Beth Riesgraf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-riesgraf/) > [I am responsible for me. I can kind of take care of what I need to do and should do what I like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vince-gill/i-am-responsible-for-me-i-can-kind-of-take-care-of-what-i-need-to-do/) [Vince Gill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vince-gill/) > [“Because we're two of a kind. You were made to take care of me, and I'm going to take care of you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-picoult/because-we-re-two-of-a-kind-you-were-made-to-take-care-of-me-and-i-m/) [Jodi Picoult](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-picoult/) > [I wish people would realize that animals are totally dependent on us, helpless, like children, a trust that is put upon us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/i-wish-people-would-realize-that-animals-are-totally-dependent-on-us/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [Remember to be kind. Remember to be loving. Remember to feel all your feelings and to take care of yourself. But most of all,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-beattie/remember-to-be-kind-remember-to-be-loving-remember-to-feel-all-your/) [Melody Beattie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-beattie/) > [Volunteer. Find ways to be useful. Be kind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claudia-black/volunteer-find-ways-to-be-useful-be-kind/) [Claudia Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/claudia-black/) > [For some reason, we are truly convinced that if we criticize ourselves, the criticism will lead to change. If we are harsh, we believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/geneen-roth/for-some-reason-we-are-truly-convinced-that-if-we-criticize-ourselves/) [Geneen Roth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/geneen-roth/) ## More by James Herriot > [That quotation about not having time to stand and stare has never applied to me. I seem to have spent a good part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/that-quotation-about-not-having-time-to-stand-and-stare-has-never/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“I went back to my conversation with Siegfried that morning; we had just about decided that the man with a lot of animals couldn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/i-went-back-to-my-conversation-with-siegfried-that-morning-we-had/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [If a farmer calls me to a sick animal, he couldn't care less if I were George Bernard Shaw.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/if-a-farmer-calls-me-to-a-sick-animal-he-couldn-t-care-less-if-i-were/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“... a bullock, backing in alarm from the halter, crashed its craggy behind into my midriff. The wind shot out of me in a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/a-bullock-backing-in-alarm-from-the-halter-crashed-its-craggy-behind/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“You know, Mrs Pumphrey, you're overfeeding him again. Didn't I tell you to cut out all those pieces of cake and give him more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/you-know-mrs-pumphrey-you-re-overfeeding-him-again-didn-t-i-tell-you/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“But Siegfried held up a restraining hand. “Just one moment,” he slurred. “The windscreen is very dirty. I’ll give it a rub for you.”…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/but-siegfried-held-up-a-restraining-hand-just-one-moment-he-slurred/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [No animal is a better judge of comfort than a cat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/no-animal-is-a-better-judge-of-comfort-than-a-cat/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“This old man had once told me that he left school when he was twelve, whereas I had spent most of the twenty-four years…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/this-old-man-had-once-told-me-that-he-left-school-when-he-was-twelve/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [And the peace which I always found in the silence and emptiness of the moors filled me utterly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/and-the-peace-which-i-always-found-in-the-silence-and-emptiness-of/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [A farmer once told me one of the greatest luxuries of his life was to wake up early only to go back to sleep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/a-farmer-once-told-me-one-of-the-greatest-luxuries-of-his-life-was-to/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“If having a soul means being able to feel love and loyalty and gratitude, then animals are better off than a lot of humans.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/if-having-a-soul-means-being-able-to-feel-love-and-loyalty-and/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [Animals are unpredictable things, and so our life is unpredictable. It's a long tale of little triumphs and disasters and you've got to really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/animals-are-unpredictable-things-and-so-our-life-is-unpredictable-it/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [I think it was the fact that I liked it so much that made the writing just come out of me automatically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/i-think-it-was-the-fact-that-i-liked-it-so-much-that-made-the-writing/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [Cats are connoisseurs of comfort.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/cats-are-connoisseurs-of-comfort/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) > [“My mind went back to that picture in the obstetrics book. A cow standing in the middle of a gleaming floor while a sleek…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/my-mind-went-back-to-that-picture-in-the-obstetrics-book-a-cow/) [James Herriot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) [Explore all 59 James Herriot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/) ## More Animal quotes > [I was 3-years-old - to this day it is a vivid memory. My family and I were on a boat, catching fish. As one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joaquin-phoenix/i-was-3-years-old-to-this-day-it-is-a-vivid-memory-my-family-and-i/) [Joaquin Phoenix](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joaquin-phoenix/) > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Humans are animals too, but some do not like to work from expectations.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mak-786/humans-are-animals-too-but-some-do-not-like-to-work-from-expectations/) Mak\_786 > [When grubbing for necessities man is still an animal. He becomes uniquely human when he reaches out for the superfluous and extravagant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-hoffer/when-grubbing-for-necessities-man-is-still-an-animal-he-becomes/) [Eric Hoffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-hoffer/) > [I'm 38 and I'm single, and I'm having my most intense and gratifying relationship with a dog. But we all learn about love in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caroline-knapp/i-m-38-and-i-m-single-and-i-m-having-my-most-intense-and-gratifying/) [Caroline Knapp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caroline-knapp/) > [Practically all animals which move fast in a homogeneous medium have found means of giving their body a streamlined shape, thereby reducing friction to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/konrad-lorenz/practically-all-animals-which-move-fast-in-a-homogeneous-medium-have/) [Konrad Lorenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/konrad-lorenz/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“it is a federal system of sadistic torture, vivisection, and animal genocide, which has been carried on for decades under the fraudulent guise of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tobias/it-is-a-federal-system-of-sadistic-torture-vivisection-and-animal/) [Michael Tobias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tobias/) > [“What does it mean to be a self-conscious animal? The idea is ludicrous, if it is not monstrous. It means to know that one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-self-conscious-animal-the-idea-is-ludicrous/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [We must love animals in such a powerful way that we should reject to eat them!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mehmet-murat-ildan/we-must-love-animals-in-such-a-powerful-way-that-we-should-reject-to/) [Mehmet Murat Ildan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mehmet-murat-ildan/) > [“The universe contains any amount of horrible ways to be woken up, such as the noise of the mob breaking down the front door,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/terry-pratchett/the-universe-contains-any-amount-of-horrible-ways-to-be-woken-up-such/) [Terry Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/terry-pratchett/) > [This brings me back to the image of Kafka standing before a fish in the Berlin aquarium, a fish on which his gaze fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-safran-foer/this-brings-me-back-to-the-image-of-kafka-standing-before-a-fish-in/) [Jonathan Safran Foer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-safran-foer/) > [That dog, I say that dog is lower than a snake full of buckshot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/foghorn-leghorn/that-dog-i-say-that-dog-is-lower-than-a-snake-full-of-buckshot/) [Foghorn Leghorn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/foghorn-leghorn/) > [I bet plants go like 'Weeeeeeeee!' whenever they're swallowed by a giraffe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-bet-plants-go-like-weeeeeeeee-whenever-they-re-swallowed-by-a/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Animal rights without veganism is like human rights with slavery. It makes no sense. None whatsoever.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-l-francione/animal-rights-without-veganism-is-like-human-rights-with-slavery-it/) [Gary L. Francione](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-l-francione/) [Browse all 13,456 Animal quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child must that we will be kind and take care of their needs.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Herriot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totally-helpless-animals-are-how/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Animal" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totally-helpless-animals-are-how/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/james-herriot-11324_animal_i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totall_320173.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/james-herriot-11324_animal_i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totall_320173.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ef7/james-herriot-11324_animal_i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totall_320173.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I hope to make people realize how totally helpless animals are, how dependent on us, trusting as a child…” — James Herriot", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Herriot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-herriot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I hope to make people realize...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totally-helpless-animals-are-how/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-herriot/i-hope-to-make-people-realize-how-totally-helpless-animals-are-how/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```