Paw Prints to Learning

Teaching Youth About Animal Welfare

A unique resource for educators, youth workers and parents, to teach young  people about animal welfare and how they CAN make a difference in animals' lives.

Animal Welfare Lessons

• Grades K-2

• Pet Care and Safety

• Grades 3-5

• Animal Shelters
• Keeping Our Pets Safe in an Emergency
• Working Animals

• Grades 6-8

• Animals in Sports and Entertainment
• Humane Heroes: Those Who Care Enough

• Grades 9-12

• Advocacy-Getting the Job Done
• Careers: Living and Working with Animals

Profiles in Philanthropy: Concepts, People & Organizations

Quotations

View quotations from notable philanthropists on the subject of Animal Welfare.

Annotated Bibliography

Children's Literature Bibliography with Animal Welfare themes by the ASPCA.

Literature Guides

Guides contain before-, during- and after-reading questions to help readers to think critically about each story's message. Guides are available for the following books:

Using Paw Prints to Learning with Family, Youth and/or Faith Based Youth Groups

Paw Prints to Learning educational resources are very useful for youth groups or faith based youth groups. The lessons contain many activities that can easily be adapted to a youth group setting by deleting the academic content expectations. An effective way to preface the humane treatment and animal welfare content in the Paw Prints to Learning units would be to teach the concept of philanthropy (giving time, talent, and treasure for the common good) through the use of Learning to Give Youth Activities. A faith based (Judeo-Christian) version of the Youth Activities is also available.

For pre-school through elementary age children, the Literature Guides provide read-a-loud experiences that promote critical thinking and discussion about topics of responsibility for environmental stewardship, humane treatment and animal welfare. These concepts can be reinforced through the use of the activities suggested at the end of each guide.

For middle and high school students, the Profiles in Philanthropy informational papers about people are a good inspirational resource to use in talking and thinking about role models who are “heroes for animals.” The concept and organization papers can serve as an introduction and discussion catalyst for important environmental and animal welfare issues.

In the quotations list, there are quotes that will promote critical thinking about our relationship to the environment, especially animals, appropriate for all ages.

About The ASPCA

Founded in 1866, the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) was the first humane organization established in the Americas, and today has more than one million supporters throughout North America. A 501 [c] [3] not-for-profit corporation, the ASPCA’s mission is to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States. The ASPCA provides local and national leadership in animal-assisted therapy, animal behavior, animal poison control, anti-cruelty, humane education, legislative services, and shelter outreach. The New York City headquarters houses a full-service, accredited, animal hospital, adoption center, and mobile clinic outreach program. The Humane Law Enforcement department enforces New York’s animal cruelty laws and is featured on the reality television series “Animal Precinct” on Animal Planet. For more information, please visit www.aspca.org.