Environmental Education through Humane Education

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Originally appears in the Winter 2021 issue.

By Alaina Doll

Every week for two years, I set up an outreach table in various communities for Asheville Humane Society’s Community Pets Program in North Carolina. Our mission was to provide pet ownership resources to keep pets with their families and out of the shelter system. I started to see a trend in my clientele: week after week, the most consistent conversations I had were with children, ranging from six to 13 years of age. Through these educational opportunities with a diverse group of children, I began to see a common thread between environmental values and the intrinsic appreciation that these children had for their pets.

Getting students involved with their local animal rescue organizations seemed like a perfect opportunity to foster a sense of community and altruism in our children and youth for not only pets, but for people and the environment, too.