Local Schools to Receive Empathy Curricula From PETA After Teens Attack Kitten With Fireworks
For Immediate Release:
January 10, 2025
Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382
Following reports that on New Year’s Eve, a group of teenagers in Gonzales tied up a 6-week-old kitten and shot fireworks at them, TeachKind—PETA’s humane education division—sent Ascension Public Schools Superintendent Edith Walker an urgent letter today stressing the need for humane education that fosters empathy for all living, feeling beings. TeachKind also sent the district kindness-to-animals educational materials, including “Empathy Now,” a guide to preventing violence by young people. According to news reports, the kitten, who may lose an eye as a result of the attack, was found by a local citizen involved in animal rescue. The teens have not been identified but are believed to live in the area.
“This kitten experienced terrifying, traumatic abuse at the hands of young people clearly lacking in empathy,” says PETA Vice President of Youth Programs Marta Holmberg. “Compassion can be cultivated, and TeachKind stands ready to help Ascension Public Schools teach their students that every sentient being, whether a cat or a classmate, deserves empathy and respect.”
TeachKind is also sending the school district its “Challenging Assumptions” curriculum, which helps secondary school students examine discrimination and other social justice issues; its “Share the World” program kit, which includes lessons that aim to foster empathy for animals and are appropriate for even the youngest learners; and anti-bullying posters.
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.
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 Kitsfor people who need a lesson in kindness. TeachKind offers free presentations, lessons, and other resources to help teachers add compassion to their curricula. For more information, please visit TeachKind.org or follow TeachKind on Facebook or Instagram.
