School-based animal welfare education builds empathy, critical thinking, and lifelong compassionate attitudes toward animals in children.
School-based animal welfare education has the potential to create lasting attitudinal and behavioral change in future generations of citizens, consumers, farmers, and policymakers. Children who learn to recognize animal suffering, understand what animals need to thrive, and feel empowered to act compassionately toward animals grow into adults who make different choices than those without such education. The evidence linking animal cruelty to other forms of violence and antisocial behavior creates an additional public health rationale for animal welfare education. However, school animals kept for educational purposes must themselves receive appropriate welfare - a poorly managed classroom hamster teaches the opposite lesson to the one intended.