In the News: Tails of Marin
Classroom Pets 101
By Carrie Harrington
Many teachers believe that having an animal in the classroom is a good way to teach young children about the humane ethic. After all, research has found that children who treat animals with compassion are more likely to mature into compassionate adults. At the same time, compelling evidence shows that children who abuse animals often become violent offenders later in life. While it can be a good idea to use a classroom pet to teach kids lessons in kindness toward animals, it’s also important for teachers to ensure that a classroom pet is properly cared for, and that the right lessons are being learned.
Teachers should first seriously examine what they hope their students will gain from the experience of having a classroom pet. The financial implications of caring for an animal also need to be considered. This includes the purchase of appropriate housing, food and all veterinary and grooming expenses. Most importantly, a teacher should be willing to adopt the animal as their own and assume ultimate responsibility for the animal’s care. This means that the animal has a home with the teacher on weekends and during school breaks. If left in a classroom when school is not in session, an animal can suffer from missed meals and lack of climate control. Teachers who make this commitment to an animal are sending a subtle, but powerful, message about responsibility to their students.
The Marin Humane Society has a small companion adoption area with birds, rats, hamsters and bunnies. Some of these surrendered animals are former classroom pets. When the school year ends, some teachers are unprepared to bring their classroom animal home for the summer break and wind up bringing them to the shelter. Others send pets home with their students, whose parents eventually surrender the animal. While a teacher may have initially brought an animal into the classroom with good intentions, the lesson kids really learn from this experience is that some animals are expendable and commitments are made to be broken.
Once a thoughtful decision is made to have a classroom pet, teachers are encouraged to adopt a spayed or neutered animal from a shelter, rather than buy an unfixed animal from a pet store. Animal shelters are already overflowing with unwanted “petite pets” that were purchased from pet stores and sometimes allowed to breed. Make education a priority: Both teachers and students should learn as much as they can about an animal’s particular housing, diet and socialization needs. The Marin Humane Society can help teachers meet housing requirements through our Classroom Cage Exchange program. And, later this year, MHS will host an all-day seminar for teachers on caring for classroom pets (CEU credits available). For more information, contact the MHS Education department at (415) 506-6288.
An increasing number of educators are embracing alternatives to the traditional idea of classroom pets. For example, the Marin Humane Society offers schools the opportunity to foster a small companion animal for up to one month. Also, some teachers are opting to bring their own pets to school or are inviting guest speakers from animal welfare organizations to teach kids lessons in kindness toward animals.
A teacher who demonstrates compassion, respect and dedication toward animals in her or his care is sending a very powerful message to students, and is ultimately helping to create a more just, loving and responsible society.
Carrie Harrington is the public information assistant at the Marin Humane Society.
Tails of Marin appears every Saturday in the Home & Garden section of the Marin Independent Journal
