Pets and children: what a beautiful friendship. A study into the role pets play in developing children's social networks revealed a great deal about human-animal interactions. A number of children were asked who they would turn to in certain emotionally-charged situations - like the divorce of their parents or an argument with a sibling.
An overwhelming majority said they would seek out their pet for companionship. It was also discovered that children confide in their pets, talking to them, expressing fears and emotions in much the same way we interact with a human confidante.
Pets can also help facilitate learning and have a number of positive effects on a child's development. Schools are now catching onto the benefits of introducing pets into their community, by creating pet clubs, special pet days and offering pet education programs. For children, pets at school foster a sense of responsibility and respect for life.
Programs like the ‘Operation Safe: Kids 'n' Pets' run by the Animal Welfare League of New South Wales offers wonderful learning programs to teach all levels of school children about responsible pet ownership and animal behaviour. Topics include: pets in the community, the basics of pet care, what happens when people don't want their pets and pets and the law.
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