I was offered the exciting opportunity to speak to a group of pri- mary students about animal welfare at House Bambino After School Care. I took Jasper from Sasayama ARK with me.

We have not had many opportunities to speak with students in Kansai – in fact it was my first time. There were so many things I wanted to say, but had to really think about the best way to get my message across. I had the students think about some important questions with me: why don’t some animals have owners? How do animals who’ve lost their families feel? What can we do to make sure they are not sad?

Not many of the children had pets, nor did they have the opportunity to be around animals often. They listened keenly to the reasons for shelters to exist and the difference between animals in them and pet shops. Their kind, unaffected outlook was a wonderful learning experience for me, too.

The students wrote down their impressions: “I want to value animals”, “I think it’s really sad when animals are separated from their families”, “I’ll think really carefully before I ever have a pet”, “I want lots of people to know about rescued animals”, “I want to be a volunteer”… I was delighted to see that they had really taken in what I most wanted to impart to them.

Children are the future. I really hope my lesson will be a catalyst for them to think about all lives and the choices they can make. I hope to join them in making the world a kinder place for animals.

We have many chances to see pet shops in towns and cities, but rarely to see shelters. I would like to see shelters become more familiar places and hope to be a part of making this happen. I would like to thank everyone at Bambino for a truly special opportunity. I hope we can do it again!