Education about animal welfare from an early age shapes attitudes and behaviors toward animals throughout life, making school and community programs some of the highest-leverage welfare interventions.
Animal welfare education at an early age is among the highest-leverage interventions for improving animal welfare long-term. Children who develop empathy for animals, understand their needs and welfare, and learn to recognize suffering are more likely as adults to make welfare-positive choices, support welfare legislation and intervene when they witness cruelty. The influence of early education on adult values and behaviors is well-established. Institutionalizing animal welfare education within school curricula — rather than leaving it to chance or individual teacher initiative — would reach every child and create generational change in animal welfare culture.