Important knowledge

How to make the little ones big in animal welfare

Animals and children often have a strong bond. With a pet, you learn early on what it means to bear responsibility.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Irina Schmidt - stock.adobe.com)

Animal welfare is a matter of the heart, but it must also be firmly anchored in our minds. This is best done at primary school age. After all, the youngest children should already be learning about the importance of animal welfare at school. After all, animals can only really feel comfortable in their care if people are mindful and well informed.

 

 

 

A new educational booklet is now designed to help children develop a deeper understanding of how to keep pets. It shows how important it is to know the needs of animals, understand their body language and look after them responsibly.

The "Tierprofi - Heimtiere" booklet from the "Tierschutz macht Schule" association highlights important topics relating to animal welfare and provides young readers with practical tips and motivating solutions. A central topic is the illegal puppy trade, which the children learn about, as well as the important factors that should be considered before buying a dog. They also learn what torture breeding means and how to recognize and avoid it in dogs, cats and fish.

Teachers can order the booklet free of charge for the whole class.

(Bild: Tierschutz macht Schule)

Animals on the net
The story "No likes for animal suffering" explains what is behind the seemingly funny animal videos that are often shared on social media. The booklet explains to children why these are often associated with animal suffering and how they can instead create animal-friendly videos of their own pets that promote animal welfare.

Responsible behavior must be learned - especially on the Internet!

(Bild: WWW.ZUPANC.AT)

The language of animals
The booklet also provides detailed information on the various pets, including dogs, cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, rats, budgerigars, dwarf hamsters and aquarium fish. The cartoon cat Klaro accompanies the children through the pages and explains what the animals' body language means and what special needs they have. For example, the children learn that social animals such as rabbits, gerbils and guinea pigs should always be kept with other animals of the same species. Even the "guinea pig language" is taught in order to understand how to communicate with these animals.

Animal welfare goes to school

• The association campaigns for better living conditions for animals
• There is a wide range of courses and further training for teaching staff
• Suitable teaching materials for all school levels can be ordered via the association's website

The teaching material, which was developed by experts from the fields of zoology, veterinary medicine and education, helps children to better recognize the body signals of dogs and feel more confident when dealing with them.

Showing animal professionals!
In a playful way, they become real "animal professionals". For each topic in the booklet, children can solve exciting puzzles and receive an "animal pro ID card" at the end, which is also available online as a template. There are also action cards that can be used to pantomime terms from the booklet.

There is even a special ID card for the children, which they receive for their knowledge.

(Bild: Tierschutz macht Schule)

The booklet is specially designed for grades 3 to 8 and is available free of charge from the association in class sizes. Lea Mirwald, Managing Director of "Tierschutz macht Schule", recommends that every child receives a copy of the booklet, as many pupils continue to engage intensively with the content after the lesson. The updated edition reveals even more valuable information and secrets from the world of pets.