OkcPets Magazine July 2021

July/August 2021 • OKC Pets 37 E very year, animals are hurt or killed by children, either on purpose or by accident. In many cases, a beloved pet can be hurt when a child plays too roughly with it, but in extreme cases, children can also cause the death of an animal. While injuries and death of an animal range to the extreme level, basic compassion toward animals is an often overlooked part of child development and socialization training. Gone should be the days of boys gleefully killing squirrels and birds with BB guns for fun, and equally gone should be the days of little girls beating a mouse or a spider to death because they were taught “they are scary.” Animal abuse in the United States is still rampant. According to the Humane Society of the United States, most cases of animal abuse are never reported and are difficult to track because cases of animal abuse are not compiled by state or federal agencies. Numerous scientific studies show that animals are sentient beings that experience “feelings.” They suffer emotionally and physically when treated unkindly, and they feel joy when they feel safe and loved. In many ways, the emotional health of a society can be mea- sured in how it treats animals. Even more concerning is the scientific evidence that links ani- mal abuse to child abuse. Animal abuse by children is common, with up to 44 percent of kids likely to do this at some point during their childhood, although the true prevalence may be higher because parents and children may be unaware or unwill- ing to report it, says evidence published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. While much of this behavior in younger children can be at- tributed to exploring the world around them, in children aged 10 and above, it may very well reflect abuse in the family, the report suggests. Animals both domesticated and wild are a wonderful part of our lives and have been for thousands of years. Besides cats, dogs, hamsters, birds and fish, other creatures like livestock and wild critters deserve respect and compassion as well. It’s never too early to teach your children that every living creature deserves kindness whether they be furry, scaly, feathered or fearsome. Why Compassion Matters Louisa McCune, executive director of the Kirkpatrick Founda- tion in Oklahoma City, has a passion for animal well-being. In fact, the foundation itself has a mission to make Oklahoma “the most humane state by 2035” and often champions animal rights and animal causes. “The right thing to do is to not abuse an animal. It’s the right thing to do not to abuse a loved one. It’s the right thing to do not to abuse strangers. It is a high-mindedness that’s applicable in every moment in everyday life,” said McCune. “The humane treatment of animals is the beginning of a humane society toward people of every stripe, in every country, in every culture. As far as I’m concerned, it all starts with how we treat animals.” McCune said when animals don’t fare well, people don’t fare well. ‘Teaching children from a young age to be compassionate to animals is the first step in teaching humanity to be compassionate to everyone and everything’ By Heide Brandes