Insights after Claire's Presentation

I found Claire’s presentation on Friday extremely insightful. I was very impressed by the impact her humane education classes had on Philly students and the community. What I found most shocking was that every third grader in one of the classes had attended a dogfight. It really put into perspective for me the prevalence of dog fighting in the city. It has made me think more critically about the reasons why the dogs I see at the PSPCA are there. On Saturday I noticed the fact sheet on one of the pit bulls read, “reason for intake: Abuse/cruelty.” Another dog’s skin was growing back after a case of mange. I wonder if these dogs could have been involved in dog fighting and how many of the dogs at the PSPCA are rescued from dog fighting rings.

Also, Claire’s presentation furthered my understanding of the connection between animal cruelty and child abuse. This is something I have been thinking about since viewing Earthlings. The documentary shows film of workers at factory farms in charge of shooting animals unconscious with air guns. Some of the workers taunted the animals while doing this. Others went out their way to hurt animals unnecessarily. I wondered if the constant exposure to violence against animals incited this cruel behavior and what effect it had on their personal lives. If they could hurt a squealing pig, which was obviously in pain, could that transfer to abusing another human being? There certainly seems to be a link between cruelty to companion animals and cruelty to humans. Could there also be a connection in the factory farming industry? I was reminded of novel I read recently, Butcher Boy by Pat McCabe, in which a young teen becomes a butcher’s assistant and shoots pigs with an air gun. Later, he kills a woman using that gun. Granted, the character showed strong signs of mental instability throughout the book and it is a fictional story. But could this story hint at reality?

Also, Claire’s presentation showed me that humane education is worthwhile and necessary. I am a secondary education major at Temple. Within a year or two I may be a teacher in a junior high or high school, possibly in the Philadelphia area. At the secondary level, many teachers and administrators resist activities which take away from content area instruction. As a future educator, I can advocate for the inclusion of humane education, invite people like Claire to work with my class, or incorporate elements of humane education into my content area. As I teacher I have a duty to help my students become responsible adults and citizens. Humane education is an important strategy to meet this goal.