“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” — Mahatma Gandhi
In June of this year, a teenage girl in New York City was charged with arson, burglary, criminal trespass and felony aggravated animal cruelty after she broke into her ex-roommate’s apartment seeking revenge. Among other destructive actions, she confessed that she put her alleged ex-girlfriend’s kitten in the oven to die and afterward told investigators “I hate cats.”
They want to pick them up and hug and squeeze them like they do their stuffed animals
They may not understand that animals can feel happiness and pain just like people..
Children need to be taught appropriate ways to interact with pets and to be respectful of pets and wildlife roaming in your neighborhood.
Set A Great Example
Never hit, shake, jerk or yell at your family pet – your child learns most of their behaviors by observing you.
If you overreact in anger toward your pet, show your child that it’s all right to apologize to the pet just as you would apologize to a person.
Do not ignore or dismiss pet-unfriendly actions. When dealt with as though they’ve committed a serious offense, most children will not repeat the behavior.
If you notice a child harassing or abusing an animal, it’s important to put a stop to it right away! Treat it seriously even if it doesn’t seem that the animal was really harmed. Depending on the age and intent of the child, some of these could be innocent behaviors, but the opportunity should be used as a teachable moment to ensure the child understands that harassing animals is unacceptable.
Discuss Inappropriate Behavior
Some inappropriate behaviors that you should discuss with your child include:
Chasing a fleeing animal
Locking a pet in a closet
Leaving a pet outdoors for an extended period of time
Painting a pet’s body
Beyond Inappropriate Behavior
Some behaviors can indicate a more serious problem, especially if performed habitually or out of anger.
These behaviors may indicate a need for professional help:
Giving a pet medications or harmful foods to see what effect it will have
Placing a tight rubber band around a paw or tail
Putting a small animal in a washing machine, microwave or other appliance
Staging fights between dogs or letting one animal chase another
Taking pleasure in seeing a frightened or suffering pet
Responding to adult reprimands by engaging in hostile acts toward the pet
Burning an animal
Teasing an animal with firecrackers
Repeatedly showing off the inhumane handling of a pet to others
Putting an animal in dangerous situations, such as dangling her outside a window or bringing her into the road
What To Do
If you are aware that a child has engaged in the harassment or abuse of an animal:
1. A simple, clear statement such as, “We don’t hurt animals” is far more effective than lecturing.
2. Use the same serious tone of voice that you would use if you saw your child running across the street without stopping to look for oncoming traffic.
3. If your teenager involves the family dog in high-risk activities such as dog fighting, not only should you intervene, but check in to see if your child is being influenced by alcohol, drugs, gambling or other unhealthy behaviors that involve peer pressure.
Remember that for most children, learning empathy and respect toward animals is part of the normal socialization process; they learn these behaviors the same way as learning how to treat other children.
However, if your child persists in harassing or harming your pet in spite of your repeated corrections, consult with your pediatrician, psychiatrist or psychologist.
If your child is an animal lover, the ASPCA has a fun and informational site, called Animaland for kids who want to learn more about how they can help animals and prevent and report animal abuse.
Sara Puls is the creator and community manager of BrewCityTails.com, an online community for pet lovers in Southeastern Wisconsin.
She has a B.A. in Psychology & Sociology, a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning, nine years of experience as a parent and over 15 years experience as a pet parent. She is an expert in bird care and small animal behavior and care, and has provided foster care for dogs and cats.
What lessons have you learned from pets?
I’m sure love and companionship, but we all know our pets give us much more. We hope you will share your stories with us and our readers in the comments.
