Many years ago, someone asked me a simple question. “Why do dogs bark?”

On Tuesday, I stood within the grandeur of Government House in Melbourne for the investiture at which I received my Medal of the Order of Australia. And while I was in awe of the architecture, moved by the occasion and feeling a tad out of place in my fancy clothes, there was, strangely, a sense of belonging too.

From 1–7 October, Be Kind to Animals Week invites us all to think about the animals with whom we share our lives and our world, while World Animal Day on 4 October brings people across the globe together in a shared vision for a kinder world for animals. 

This morning, I was reminded that the measure of a living being is not found in whether we have named them, understood them or even noticed them.

It is a word we so often associate with force, with dominance and with the ability to bend the world to our will. But recently, a heartbreaking image of a pig named Imogen forced me to look at power through a completely different lens.

Some stories do not begin with a plan. They begin with a feeling. A tug, if you like. For me, it was the tug of a tiny piglet.

“If not you, then who? If not now, when?” — Hillel the Elder. It began with a small blackberry bush. Just a slender, spiked vine growing by the roadside at the western entrance to my town.

I stretch my memory back and though I cannot recall the exact date, I do remember the moment with surprising clarity.

Fishing is often framed as harmless recreation. For many, it is said to be a way to relax, to connect with nature and to simply be.

As I look out my window this morning, the familiar rhythm of sanctuary life unfolds. The team moves with their usual quiet purpose, ensuring every animal is fed, has fresh water and is cared for. Even after restless nights and heavy skies, life continues. Responsibility continues. Kindness continues.