How do pets help children develop empathy? Read on, and you
might give your child's pleas for a puppy a second thought. 1.
Caretaking is a skill that can be transferred to people.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry (AACAP), “A child who learns to care for an animal,
and treat it kindly and patiently, may get invaluable training
in learning to treat people the same way…Positive relationships
with pets can aid in the development of trusting relationships
with others. A good relationship with a pet can also help in
developing non-verbal communication, compassion, and empathy.”
2. Having animals around helps children relax. “Humane education
programs aimed at promoting empathy development and pro-social
behaviours in children possessing compromised levels of these
constructs may be more effective if they incorporate non-human
animal and interaction with them,” according to Promotion of
Empathy and Prosocial Behaviour in Children throughHumane
Education by Kelly L. Thompson and El