Sighting of Teens in Puppy-Beating Case Prompts Offer of School Kindness Kits
PETA Stresses Need to Teach Anti-Bullying and Compassion in the Classroom—for Whole Community’s Sake
For Immediate Release:
March 25, 2016
Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382
Last week in Berthoud, four teenagers were reportedly seen running away from an 11-week-old puppy who had apparently been beaten, kicked, or stomped on in her own yard, leaving her with internal bleeding and broken bones. In response, TeachKind—PETA’s humane-education division—sent letters this morning to local schools urging them to implement humane education in their classrooms without delay and to teach students to report cruelty to a grown-up whenever they see it.
TeachKind and PETA—whose mottos read, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way”—have asked the superintendent of Thompson School District to ensure that students know that there are serious consequences for cruelty to animals, and they are also offering free copies of their “Abuse: Report It if You See It” poster to area schools.
“Kids who behave violently toward animals and never have this behavior called out often continue to behave violently,” says PETA Senior Director of Youth Outreach and Campaigns Marta Holmberg. “TeachKind is calling on local schools to implement lessons on kindness to animals and to give students the tools that they need to speak up in the face of cruelty and animal suffering.”
TeachKind notes that according to leading mental-health professionals and law-enforcement agencies, perpetrators of violent acts against animals are often repeat offenders who pose a serious threat to the community at large. TeachKind’s staff is available to send materials to schools, suggest lesson plans, and even host classroom presentations for students via Skype—all for free.
The puppy, named Bella, is recovering from her injuries. The Larimer County Sheriff’s Office asks anyone with information on her injuries to call the sheriff’s office at 970-498-5100.
TeachKind’s letters are available upon request. For more information, please visit TeachKind.org.
