Pet and People Compassion Education

This compassion and empathy driven learning, focuses on topics that include both human and pet issues that promote compassion, responsibility, and empathy for all living creatures. Through joint lessons about pets and people students are able to develop a deep feeling for animals and people, based on empathy, understanding and respect. Eight consecutive 45-minute lessons are presented within the 4 lesson session. These two sessions can be broken up over two grade-years or as eight consecutive lessons to the same class.

The first block of four lessons, focuses on the similarities and connections of people and their pets. Topics that are presented exploring the similarities of mindful human-human interaction and human-pet interaction including how to read body language and act in a responsible and mindful way to keep all safe and comfortable. Diversity and stereotypes of people are paired with diverse needs of different pets throughout their life and exploring breed discrimination. Students are taught tools to use if they are confronted with bullying by their classmates. The differences between wild animals, domestic animals, and companion animals are defined allowing the students to understand our role as pet owners as guardians and how we can help the pet overpopulation problem. The importance of spay and neuter is introduced and why Animal Shelters are a place that our communities greatly benefit from in an array of ways.

The second block of four lessons focuses on all-thing pets as the students are addressed as the future pet owners and pet advocates of America. A board game that has the same concept of the long-time favorite Board Game Called Life, allow students to adopt or buy, care for, and experience pet ownership through a game while using math and money management skills. Dog and Cat ownership 101 help students learn about these favorite types of pets, how to select the right pet for them and their lifestyle, and local issues such as backyard breeding, feral cats, loose dogs without identification, and keeping pet safe in the weather elements we experience are discussed are explored. The most popular breeds that are found in our area as well as in Animal Shelters are studied and students learn outside of adoption how can we help homeless animals as well as how to properly care for the pets we currently own as well as why Animal Shelters are such an important community resource that shouldn’t be avoided. The final class explores the many ways pets help people through therapy animals and service animals.

Combining human topics with a focus on pets aids students in learning in a judgement free and compassion driven environment.

Science Standards This Program Meets

About PAWS of Jackson Hole

PAWS knows that future of responsible pet owners advocates starts with our local youth. This is why PAWS runs comprehensive education and outreach programming designed to promote recreating responsibly, clean communal spaces, and instructing future pet owners on responsible ownership and how they can help pets in need in their communities. Each year, we have a team of trained Trail Ambassadors out on trails rewarding good behavior and spreading the “PAWS-itivity.” We even work with our local, friendly poop-fairy to be sure people are scooping with a smile! Want to join our volunteer Trail Ambassador team? Just click on the Volunteer button. You can also look for our promotional videos on this site, on social media outlets and at the movie theaters. These fun, informative pieces remind everyone to be courteous and responsible when out with their pets. Plus, we are thrilled to be partnering with elementary schools in Star Valley, WY and Teton Valley, ID on a humane education program which teaches kids about caring for pets and how to become an advocate for pets in our communities.

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Who	PAWS of Jackson Hole
What	Our mission is to prevent pet homelessness, protect pets from harm and suffering, and promote responsible ownership.
When	All year long. Trail Ambassadors volunteer seasonally, and our Humane Education Program can be offered over a span of 4 weeks at a convenient time for both PAWS staff and local students.
Where	Jackson and Star Valley, WY and Teton Valley, Idaho
Why	Our Trail Ambassadors promote harmonious usage on high trafficked dog friendly trails. Our Humane Education Program spans grades 2-6 and teaches empathy, kindness, compassion, for all creatures, as well as how to care for pets, and become a pet advocate. We explore animal welfare topics such as safe pet handling and introductions, the importance of animal shelters, spay and neuter, diversity amongst pets and people, and how pets help us as therapy animals.