The blue cross has been associated with animal care since the mid 1850's. It was first used in the Crimean War to designate aid stations for horses. It has been said, "The blue cross was to animals as the red cross was to people".
An organization known as the Blue Cross began in 1897, when a small group of Londoners founded Our Dumb Friend's League (ODFL) and adopted the blue cross as their emblem. ODFL was dedicated to encouraging kindness to animals. Their animal hospital, probably the first of its kind in the western world, opened in London in 1906. ODFL also established a Blue Cross Branch and set up a Blue Cross Fund. (Haas 1996) The emblem of the blue cross is still used today throughout many countries in Europe.