A compassionate society is a healthy society – and one that is compassionate across the board is a great springboard for responsible citizenship. Compassion for animals is an essential pillar for nurturing empathy and kindness in children and early exposure to humane education helps children develop an understanding of the value of all living beings.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s ‘Ani-Pals’ Education program aims to educate children about the importance of being compassionate to all animals, including domestic pets, farm animals and wildlife, animal welfare principles and the goals and mission of the SPCA.
Encouraging empathy – which helps address other social evils, like bullying and discrimination – the program sees the education team travelling from school to school and presenting their Western Cape Department of Education-endorsed, award-winning puppet show, directly into classrooms.
The show teaches the five basics of pet care; food and water; shelter; exercise; preventative veterinary care and sterilisation. The program is supported by curriculum-aligned workbooks (available in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa), which enable teachers to reinforce the lessons in the classroom. The program also offers an extended mobile clinic component, via the provision of free sterilisation services. In 2023, the program – led by only three people – reached 66 schools, positively influencing 7 616 young minds and sterilising 742 domestic animals.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA’s Education Department also runs other programs, working with public and private schools all over Cape Town, specifically targeting grade 3, 4 and 5 learners to demonstrate the responsibilities of pet ownership in a simple manner. The aim is to encourage them to make informed, morally responsible and accountable decisions about their health and their environment with pets.
The SPCA is a Beneficiary of the MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet program, which gives Supporters the opportunity to nominate the organisation as one of their Beneficiaries and raise funds for them by simply swiping their MySchool card every time they shop at partner retail stores. “The MyPlanet element of the program was established in 2008 and the SPCA was one of our first Beneficiaries,” says MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet General Manager, Pieter Twine. “Since then, we are proud to have been able to connect Supporters with them to help them raise funds for much-needed educational programs like Ani-Pals and continue the amazing work they do in saving lives and preserving dignity of animals, across the country.”
Article Provided
