OkcPets Magazine July 2021

38 OKC Pets • July/August 2021 “The animal is the canary in the coal mine of how society is do- ing. How animals are treated is the estimation and essential metric in evaluating overall community health, whether we’re talking about the community of a neighborhood, the community of a city, a county, a state, a nation or a hemisphere,” she said. “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.” In fact, numerous studies show disturbing connections between kids who are cruel to animals and violent behavior toward people. In a report published by The American Library Association, author Jeanette Lawson says that animal abuse often precedes violence toward other people. Indeed, in almost every major act of violence, from the Columbine massacre to serial killings, animal abuse and cruelty were present. However, by the time a young person shows cruelty toward animals, it is often hard to change that behavior, which is why it is so important to teach children to treat animals with kindness. “I have three tenets as a mother: you have to be safe, you can’t be a jerk, and you have to be kind to animals. Everything else is nego- tiable,” McCune said. “It has been very easy for me to incorporate animal well-being in our household. We have lots of dogs and cats. We feed the birds, we feed the squirrels, and we take the spiders outside.” THE STORIES OF KINDNESS Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways to connect with children. Fortunately, there are plenty of children’s books about an- imals and kindness. Your local library and librarian can be invalu- able resources in finding age-appropriate books that teach kids how to be kind to other living creatures. Organizations like the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education and the Humane Society of the United States also provide materials and resources that encourage humane education in a positive manner. Phyllis Reynolds Naylor’s ever-popular “Shiloh” may be the best- known book dealing with animal abuse, but many other books focus on empathy toward animals as well, including: • “Mama Cat Has Three Kittens” by Denise Fleming • “’Let’s Get a Pup!’ Said Kate” by Bob Graham • “The Lady and the Spider” by Faith McNulty • “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White • “Go Home! The True Story of James the Cat” by Libby Phillips Meggs • “The Stray Dog” by Marc Simont • “Third Grade Pet” by Judy Cox • “Saving Lilly” by Peg Kehret Oklahoma author Bill Wallace also has a series of books about animals. Visit your local library to find these titles and more. OTHER WAYS TO TEACH COMPASSION Here are some easy ideas to get your children excited about being an animal advocate and to learn how to be kind. • Pet shelters and rescue organizations often need volunteers to help feed the animals, walk the dogs, clean cages and more. Vol- unteering with your child can help them learn why it’s import- ant to be kind to animals. • Donate to local animal organizations. From homeless pet shelters and catch/neuter/release groups to animal sanctuaries, donating with your children can help all animals in need. While