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WHS Education Corner: Empathy Through Education

By: Richard Milbourne, Assistant Manager in Education

 

The author Michael Morpurgo, probably best known for  his  book “Warhorse”,  once  said; “Animals are sentient, intelligent, perceptive, funny and entertaining. We owe them a duty of care as we do to children.” 

It is a unique position which I have found myself in here at the Winnipeg Humane Society (WHS). Being the bridge between animals and children in the role of an educator is both a privilege and a challenge. As adults, we wish many things upon our children. We wish them success, we wish them health, we wish them happiness; for me, I wish them empathy. Not just empathy to each other, but to all living things. In an increasingly modern and global society, we are seeing more and more evidence of the lack of empathy towards each other. So, how can we teach our children to care about more than just themselves?

One of the most enjoyable parts of my work with the WHS is going into schools, meeting children and delivering presentations. Its always so enjoyable to see students faces light up when we go into the room with a dog. It’s nice to hear their stories about their experiences with animals and it’s always  so  reassuring  to  see  how  kind  and  respectful  students  can  be  towards  an  animal.  I discuss with the students how humans and animals are similar, and how we need all the same things to be happy and healthy. The more students learn about animals, the more they realize that they are just like us. This, in turn, leads to empathy and a love for animals.

It maybe a simple presentation about different types of animals for a Kindergarten group or it might be a challenging presentation about poaching and animal welfare for Grade 12. Whichever it  is,  I  always  leave  the  presentations  hoping  that  I  have  made an  impact on the  lives  of  those students and developed more empathic beings.

I love the responsibility that I have. It has been said that working with animals or children can be a challenge, but I say, “What can be a more rewarding way to spend your energy?”