George Angell,
founder of the
Mass. SPCA
once said, " I am
sometimes
asked 'Why do
you spend so
much of your
time and money
in talking about
kindness to
animals, when
there is so much
cruelty to men?'
And I answer, 'I
am working at
the roots'"  
To read more
about
Mr. Angell
click here:  
2008 Copyright. Content may not be
reproduced in any form or circulated
without written permission on a case by
case basis. Contact artforpaws.net
                                                    Click on the hand/paw icon to learn more!
"The Link":


"Humane Ed for your dog":

       
"Classroom pets":
"Are you considering adopting a pet for your classroom?
Get information about the care and needs of animals,
as well as how they can contribute to the education
of your students. Click here to understand the many
responsibilities of adopting a classroom pet."
(Information is from "Dumb Friends League)
Rabbits in the Classroom:



Children's Books & Movies:







                   


                          "What is My dog saying?"
                                     Learn some K-9 body language
                                  from Family Paws at www.familypaws.com.


                 What is Humane Education?

The National Humane Education Society (NHES)
defines it best:
"....quality humane education provides children
opportunities to explore, apply, and adopt virtues
such as empathy, kindness, respect, and responsibility
toward living beings." NHES further states: "Humane
Education teaches people how to accept and fulfill
their responsibility to companion animals, such as cats
and dogs, and all forms of animal life.  It explains the
consequences of irresponsible behavior and encourages people to see the value of all
living things.  As today's society has come to recognize the connecting link between child
abuse, animal abuse and violence against people, the need to promote kindness and
empathy through effective humane education in our communities is greater than ever.  
Furthermore, encouraging a deeper consideration of the humane choices available to us in
our daily lives--from consumer products to entertainment to food --ultimately will help lessen
animal suffering and create a more peaceful world."


                Why implement Humane Education?

Georgia's State Board of Education has required Georgia school's to implement and teach a
'character curriculum' program.   We feel that Humane Education goes Hand ~N~ Paw with  
this required comprehensive character education program.  
Children are naturally drawn to animals.  What better
method of teaching 'character curriculum' than to use
animals as a springboard for learning and applying such
character traits as citizenship, compassion, respect for
others, generosity, respect for the environment, loyalty,
creativity, kindness, courtesy, and virtue
(just to name a few of the 27 character traits teachers in Georgia
are required to teach).
Jeannie R. Nichols, the 1924 chairperson  for the National PTA Humane Education
Committee, had this to say about humane education :* "Children trained to extend justice,
kindness and mercy to animals become more just, kind and considerate in their intercourse
with each other.  Character training along these lines in youth will result in men and women
of broader sympathies, more humane, more law-abiding- in every respect more valuable
citizens.  Kindness is the one tongue that all human kind can understand that all creatures
may be made to feel.  It is the language that holds the balance of power in settling
difficulties between individuals and nations, for, above all, a heart made of kind means a
mind above crime." *Quote from "Canines in the Classroom" by Michelle A. Rivera

Also: *  "The value of humane education programs is backed by research. A 1997 study
conducted by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals found that over a 20-year period, a group of individuals who had abused
animals as youths were five times more likely to commit violent crimes, four times more
likely to commit property crimes and three times more likely to have drug or disorderly
conduct offenses than a matched group of non animal abusers. " *  Quoted from PAWS









          Mission Statement:

Hand ~N~ Paw strives to provide quality humane ed that encompasses such virtues as
kindness, compassion, empathy and responsibility towards animals and others. In doing so,
the hopes are to break the cycle of ignorance and violence towards animals in order to
reduce the numbers of homeless pets on the streets and in shelters coupled with enriching
the children's lives and that of their family by educating them on the value companion animals
add to their lives.  Our intent is to provide a wide range of resources to help make learning
fun, offer a broad range of career opportunities for their future coupled with instilling them with
virtues that will aid them in their future endeavors by creating a strong foundation for good
citizenship. We seek to use humane education as a valuable source of positive role modeling
for some children while using it to reaffirm and expand upon the kindness other children
already practice.     

         Goals:
             To partner with schools and provide fun, informative lessons that mirror                        
              the schools character curriculum.

               Sgt. Stubby is currently working on getting ready to take and pass the
              Canine Good Citizen test so that he can become a therapy dog and visit
              the kids in school.  Once he has accomplished this, we both would like to
              join the Delta Society.  He has been visiting local nursing homes and town                 
               festivals.

We are also working towards being able to provide seminars for teachers to show them how
to incorporate humane ed lessons into their existing curriculum while getting CEU credit.



          Hand ~N~ Paw's Program FAQ's:

   click here:

























"Every summer, up to thirty different Border Collies participate in Camp Border Collie for Kids, a
unique learning program for at risk inner-city children from  the Bronx, Manhattan, Brooklyn and
Newark, NJ. Each child is paired with a rescue dog to discover a gentle, positive approach to handling
and training. Coming from horrific cultural violence, these children transform their understanding of
how to care for and love a dog that clearly will love them back if treated properly. "
                                 
                                            "The bond between a child who may have been                                         
                                               misunderstood, abandoned or abused with a dog in the                           
                                               same situation is an unparalleled way to promote healing                        
                                               for both. "
                                               "The Canine Assisted Learning Program was founded on                        
                                                the principle that there is a definite link between how we                         
                                                treat animals and how we ultimately treat each other. The                       
                                                children learn in an environment that actualizes a                                   
                                                harmonious human/animal/nature relationship."

                                               Click on the pictures to              
                              learn more!
Sam is currently  
participating in our
Hand ~N~ Paw program.  
He has visited South
Jackson Elementary and
Jefferson Elementary
schools for career day.
He is a ten year old
Labrador and has been a
family member since he
was eight weeks old.
Counter
Got some loose change in your
couch cushions? under your seat in
your car? Every penny helps!
Please donate to:
Click on the "Kids
being Kind to Critters
is Cool" image for
the winning pictures!
A thoughtful thank you from Mrs. Truelove's
second graders for our presentation on Pet Care.