Teens’ Vicious Coyote Killing to Prompt PETA Billboard Urging Locals to Help Stop Animal Abuse
For Immediate Release:
February 25, 2025
Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382
Ahead of tomorrow’s court date for four Chicago teens who allegedly shot a coyote pup with a bow and arrow and stomped the animal to death, TeachKind—PETA’s humane education division—plans to place a sky-high message in the city calling on residents to help stop youth violence against animals. TeachKind is also rushing humane education materials to Chicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez—including “Empathy Now,” a guide to preventing violence by young people—stressing the need for humane education that fosters empathy for all living, feeling beings.
According to reports, the attackers—all aged 16 and 17—shot the pup on January 11 in Mount Greenwood near Evergreen Park and were witnessed kicking, stomping, and jumping on the animal.
“No parent wants to find out that their child has viciously abused and killed an animal or stood by while others did so,” says PETA Vice President of Youth Programs Marta Holmberg. “Compassion can be cultivated, and TeachKind urges adults everywhere to use our resources to help teach children that cruelty and violence are never okay, whether the victim is a coyote or a classmate.”
An epidemic of youth violence is surging throughout the U.S. Sandy Hook Promise includes cruelty to animals on its list of “10 Critical Warning Signs of Violence,” and research shows that approximately 43% of school shooters first committed acts of cruelty against animals—so animal abusers potentially pose a serious threat to communities at large.
TeachKind resources are easy to integrate into schools’ existing curricula to help prevent future violence. After a Duplin County, North Carolina, student was charged with beating a cat with a baseball bat, the local public school superintendent was grateful for TeachKind’s offer of empathy-building books and classroom materials. And following a string of dog killings in Yakima County, Washington, Superintendent Trevor Greene welcomed TeachKind’s support, stating, “Yakima School District values the importance of nurturing compassion and empathy in our students. We gratefully accept PETA’s book donation as a tool to reinforce values and beliefs within parts of our community.”
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. TeachKind offers free resources, presentations, lessons, and more to help teachers add compassion to their curricula. For more information, please visit TeachKind.org or follow TeachKind on Facebook or Instagram.
