RESCUE PARTNERS

At ARC, we are constantly learning about new organizations saving homeless animals, and we’re forging partnerships with the best of them. We collaborate with our shelter partners on fundraising and education events, and we believe fully in the amazing work they do — every single day — to help save animals and spread awareness about pet adoption. The people who run these shelters are examples of empathy in action! Learn more about our current shelter partners below, and help them continue the good work they do:

Animals-R-Family

LOCATION: Stamford, CT

WEBSITE: https://www.animalsrfamily.org/

WHAT THEY DO: Animals-R-Family is a foster-based, all-volunteer rescue. They pull at-risk animals from overcrowded high-kill shelters in the Carolinas, often taking on medical cases that require a significant financial investment. They advocate for animals of all ages and breeds.

LEARN MORE: Visit the Animals-R-Family Facebook page to discover more about their adoptable pets and initiatives.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Animals-R-Family is always looking for foster homes for dogs waiting for their forever homes. To foster, email animalsrfamilyinc@gmail.com. To donate for animal medical needs and animal transport, visit https://www.animalsrfamily.org/donate.

THE ARC BLOG

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    Lab Evidence that We “Evolved the Capacity to Empathize”

    People tend to empathize more readily with those who look and act like themselves, but this selectiveness is not innate says a new study. I recently stumbled across a fascinating piece in the New York Times discussing empathy experiments with rats. According to researchers, when a rat...

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  • Teachers Agree on the Many Benefits of Pets in the Classroom

    A lot of the education-based research we’ve relied on to support ARC’s mission and our curriculum is based off of lengthy scientific research articles that are often difficult and time consuming to work through. That’s why it was so refreshing to stumble across this brief, teacher-based...

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  • Why Kids Shouldn’t Hug Dogs

    We teach children that one way to show affection is through hugging. And understandably, kids in turn often try to hug dogs much like they’d snuggle with a beloved stuffed animal. It’s a sweet image. A couple of years ago, though, a study came out indicating that dogs actually dislike hugs....

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  • Every Kid’s Library Should Have These Animal Books

    There are countless picture books about children and animals, and we love that they offer the opportunity to teach valuable lessons in a sometimes earnest, sometimes hilarious way. They often show how similar the emotions of kids and animals are, and highlight the importance of kindness,...

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  • Bringing Home Frisco

    I remember vividly the day my husband Tom walked through the door of our NYC apartment, straight from Chicago, with the red dog carrier over his shoulder and inside the small, terrified ruby red Cavalier King Charles Spaniel named Frisco. Frisco had been rescued from a puppy mill auction outside of...

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The Science

support for humane education

Below are just some of the studies that underscore the importance of bringing children and animals together:

The Child-Animal Connection

Children who are given the opportunity to bond with animals benefit from greater self-esteem. Bierer, R.E. (2001). The relationship between pet bonding, self-esteem and empathy in preadolescents. Dissertation Abstracts International, 61 (11-B), 6183).

Children who bond with animals have higher empathetic development than their counterparts who do not enjoy animal bonds. Faver, C. (2010). School-based humane education as a strategy to prevent violence: Review and recommendations. Children and Youth Services Review, 32, 365-370.

Benefits of Empathy

Empathetic children tend to be more resilient, and better able to handle stress and challenging situations. Parker, G.R. (1989), Correlates of resilience in children who have experienced multiple stressful life events. Dissertations Abstracts International, 50(4-B), 1653-1654.

Youth violence and aggression as “learned behaviors influenced by the presence or absence of empathy and those behaviors will continue to escalate in severity unless treated.” Sprinkle, J.E (Jan. 1 2008), Animals, Empathy and Violence, Sage Journal, Vol. 6, Issue 1.

Further Reading

The News

Some recent news about humane education, with a focus on children and animals:

February 16, 2018: Program Developed by Yale University Uses Shelter Dogs to Teach Children Life Lessons

More than forty New York City schools have “comfort dogs” in the classroom, and they’re having a profoundly positive impact on students, teaching things like empathy, responsibility, resilience and core critical thinking.

December 14, 2017: Can Kindness Be Taught?

A “kindness curriculum” has been implemented in some schools—as part of a larger movement to teach emotional intelligence— and it’s helping manage stress, boosting focus and even improving academic performance in students.

December 12, 2017: Kids Give a Voice to Adoptable Pets by Penning Letters from the Dog’s Perspective

In one Florida school, fourth graders have come up with a brilliant idea to find homes for animals in need: They’re writing letters from the perspective of shelter dogs to draw the attention of adopters, and they’re practicing their writing skills in the process.

May 31, 2017: Where the Teacher’s Pet Sleeps in a Dog’s Bed

Emotional support dogs in New York City classrooms may serve help de-escalate tantrums, serve as a nonjudgmental ear during speech therapy, or even just help children open up emotionally.