In Louisiana, a 6 year old boy killed a pregnant poodle by stuffing her in a mailbox, locking it, and leaving her to die from heat and lack of air. The poodle had been let out by her guardian for a short time to go to the bathroom. The legal age to criminally charge a child is 10, so the boy is too young to be arrested. He may have to appear before a juvenile judge who could order mandatory counseling.
- This is an extremely heartbreaking and frightening case, that a child, too young to even be arrested, is capable of such a horrific act. The need for humane education in our school system and for parents to teach their children compassion is obvious.
- Please visit http://www.theanimalspirit.com/awe.html for ideas that both parents and teachers can use. There are also links on the page to wonderful organizations filled with information.
- Write or call your local school board and request that humane education become a mandatory part of the school curriculum.
- Write a letter to the Editor of your local newspapers and stress the need for humane education. http://www.opedletters.com/
- In Defense of Animals has a great brochure titled "Twelve Things You Can Do." Order the brochure and give it to your child, or children that you know, and tell them to share it with other children. In Defense Of Animals
131 Camino Alto
Mill Valley, CA
(415) 388-9641
ida@idausa.org
http://www.idausa.org
- Get your community involved! Visit: http://www.pleasebekind.com/kkc/kkc.htm and learn how one woman started a "Kind Kids Club."
- Donate humane education books to your local library. For examples of books, visit: http://www.aspca.org/bibliography
- Visit the First Strike Campaign at: http://www.hsus.org/firststrike/index.html and learn about the direct link between violence against humans and violence against other animals.
- Please do not leave your companion animals unsupervised, even for a short time.
It is too late for Ann, but it is not too late to prevent this from happening to other animals. Let's work on spreading the word about the need for humane education.