| Puppies help abandoned children learn to love
In a bid to teach neglected and abused children how to love again, an abandoned puppy and a guinea pig have been sent to visit Christchurch's most vulnerable youngsters in Child, Youth and Family care. During last Friday's visit, nine children, aged 11 to 16, sat in a circle and played with Raven, a 12-week-old abandoned pointer-cross, and Elliot, a ginger guinea pig. Animals were a "hit" with the children because they were non-threatening and trusted instantly. "It makes me feel good . The children wrote letters to Raven's future owner, asking for her to be protected and enrolled at puppy preschool. SPCA education officer Jasmine Lewis said several of the children formed bonds with the animals and wrote "heartfelt messages" asking how they were weeks after a visit. One of the Te Oranga children, Luc, said the SPCA programme was considered the "coolest" among the residents. "They are much easier to interact with than a person. Te Oranga team leader Phaedra Fitzgerald said most children at the secure residence had suffered a "huge history of abuse, neglect and violence" and lacked fundamental social skills. Many of the young people had been excluded from mainstream education and were an "extreme risk" to themselves or the community. The joint venture between the animal welfare society and the child protection agency teaches some of the most at-risk children how to care, show empathy and build relationships with animals. "The things mainstream society take for granted, what you are supposed to learn from mum and dad, our young people haven't learnt those things," she said. Former Te Oranga residents had visited the SPCA to ask if certain animals had been "homed" and how the staff pets were, she said. |
Tuesday 1 May 2012
Puppies help abandoned children learn to love
