EMPATHY FOR ANIMALS- it it possible in the United States?
Thank you Dog Nation for reporting on Denmark
This is from Dog Nation on Facebook — I couldn’t say it better. Although I do point out that Denmark has been teaching Compassion in schools since 1993. It seems that the animal section is new, requiring every child 6-16 to take a weekly empathy class that includes being kind to animals. Since the 1940s, New York State has had a law (Education Law § 809) requiring humane education in elementary schools. It is often ignored and left up to individual teachers to try to fit in a lesson.
From Dog Nation:
“Imagine a classroom where children learn not just how the world works… but how to care for the living beings that share it with us. A classroom where kindness is treated as seriously as reading and writing. Where lessons aren’t just memorized — they’re felt.
Denmark has officially become the first country in the world to weave compassion for animals directly into the national school curriculum — a move that educators, psychologists, and animal-welfare leaders are calling one of the most forward-thinking reforms of this generation.
And here’s why this matters far beyond Denmark’s borders.
Studies from European educational institutes show that children who grow up learning empathy toward animals develop:
Stronger emotional intelligence
Lower levels of aggression
Higher cooperation and problem-solving
Greater social responsibility and kindness toward peers
It turns out compassion is a skill — and like any skill, it grows when nurtured early.
So Denmark built it into the foundation of education itself.
NEW CURRICULUM
The new curriculum includes hands-on lessons such as:
• Understanding animal emotions — recognizing stress, fear, comfort, and happiness in dogs, cats, farm animals, and wildlife
• Practical care — feeding, grooming, and basic safety around animals
• Ethical discussions — how humans impact animals through farming, industry, and everyday choices
• Visits to sanctuaries, farms, and shelters to meet rescue animals and learn their stories
• Classroom animals cared for by students as shared responsibility projects
Teachers are being trained in animal-welfare science, shelters are partnering with schools, and Denmark’s Ministry of Children and Education said the goal is simple:
“Raise a generation that does not see animals as objects, but as fellow beings deserving respect.”
And it’s working.
In pilot programs, teachers reported that children who struggled socially often connected instantly with friendly classroom dogs. Kids who were shy suddenly spoke more. Kids who were anxious calmed down while brushing a gentle golden retriever. Some schools even saw a drop in behavioral issues after incorporating animal-centered lessons.
One program leader said,
“When a child learns to be gentle with a small creature, they learn to be gentle with themselves — and with others.”
That’s the kind of education that changes entire societies.
Because teaching children to love animals isn’t just about the animals.
It’s about shaping humans who lead with empathy, protect the vulnerable, and grow into adults who make this world softer for everyone.”
WOW!!
As wonderful and admirable as this is in Denmark, there is a contradiction, a dichotomy in their image to the world that must be acknowledged. Not too long ago, a Denmark zoo offered people the opportunity to feed their pets (old, sick, no longer wanted) to predators at the zoo. In 2014, many of us recall the Copenhagen Zoo euthanized a healthy young giraffe because of his genes, then invited the public to watch the giraffe’s autopsy, and then fed his remains to the zoo’s big cats.
Because of animal welfare concerns, there continues to be much worldwide opposition to zoos, and there is much on the internet about this barbaric controversy in Denmark.
But for now, hats off to Denmark for leading the world in formally teaching compassion in schools.
DISCLAIMER: I hope this is all true, but it has been challenging to find any online confirmation of this information. I found these:
The chronic overpopulation problem of cats and dogs is global. But one thinks - at least I do - that an important and wealthy city like New York could do something positive about this — Now! But it does not happen. Imagine if we were taught in school at an early age to have compassion for animals — problems related to unwanted cats and dogs would be minimal. They include a lack of low-cost spay/neuter and veterinary services; problems with pets in housing; overloaded shelters; and homeless, abandoned animals.
Because we’d all be starting with the right information and background.
THE TEN COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST CATS WORLDWIDE.
In the meantime, keep fighting the good fight and know that there are possibilities as long as we keep at it.
Amazing about Denmark. It’s well know that kids who are abusive to animals often turn on people as they get older. The Nick Reiner case comes to mind—in an interview he was overheard saying “I’m going to kill that dog” because the barking dog was disrupting filming the were doing. (Not that everyone who makes this type of remark will end up stabbing their parents. ) So many kids who are poor may not have experience with domesticated animals so it’s nice to have the positive exposure in school.
I tell , I didnt even know and I am sure alot of others don't either. It is really the simplest yet most important way to get any kind of change to happen. We see more and more the kids emulating their cold or naive parents until they learn better, see better. So many people pass my life and never loved or been loved by an animal. Then through me they see them in a different light so IMAGINE IN SCHOOL AS A YOUNGSTER!!!! It will only benefit everyone, animals and humans. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️what a great a article...so good....Thank u....