Question

Essay on animal care our responsibility

Answer 1

Animals play important roles in all our lives, and children especially seem to have a

natural affinity for animals. The nature of their relationships with animals and the natural

world are important in shaping their overall attitudes and beliefs. Encouraging positive

relationships with other living beings and our common home—the Earth—is the aim of

Humane Education.

Humane education is an approach to instruction that infuses the curriculum with

concern for all living creatures. It is not limited to instruction on animal care (though that

is included), nor is it a separate subject. It is taught when teachers model respect and

reinforce knowledge, skills and attitudes that demonstrate responsibility, kindness and

caring.

Humane Education values the inter-dependence of all living things. Respect,

responsibility and compassion for both animals and people are at its heart. Humane

educators do not regard animals as more important than people, but believe that

showing kindness to animals and having empathy for people go hand-in-hand.

Childhood is a time when one’s character is being formed, and humane education can

help students to do the following:

• Consider the needs, feelings and suffering of all living things

• Understand what it means to be human by examining out relationships to other

creatures

• Consider the effects of their own actions

• Reflect on the world and their place within it.

Humane education is premised on the belief that children raised to be kind to animals

will also show compassion to people. Research has shown that there is a demonstrated

link between cruelty to animals and other violent behaviours.

Many adults who commit violent crimes have a history of childhood cruelty to animals,

and many children who abuse animals have themselves been abused. Numerous

studies show that there are correlations between animal cruelty and child abuse,

domestic violence and elder abuse.