Latham Spring 2001.4/01 Article.pdfHumane Education, 1826 Clement Ave., Alameda, California 94501,...

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VOLUME XXII, NUMBER 2 SPRING 2001

T H E

Promoting Respect For All Life Through Education

Latham Lauds ... Paws for Peace™

See Page 7

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Also Inside ...The Ontario SPCA’s ViolencePrevention Initiative (5) andDetails on their Province-wideWomen’s Shelter Survey (Page 16).

❖ Inside:A feature article on programevaluation.

by Barbara Boat, Ph.D.

See Page 8

© 2001 The Latham Foundation for thePromotion of Humane Education

Printed on recycled paper

The Latham Letter is published quarterly by The Latham Foundation,1826 Clement Ave., Alameda, California 94501.

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Publisher and Editor Hugh H. Tebault, IIIManaging Editor Judy JohnsContributing Editor Phil ArkowElectronic Service Bureau Composing Arts, Inc.

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Alameda, CA

The Latham Letter welcomes manuscripts relevant to the Foundation’s interests,but reserves the right to publish such manuscripts at its discretion.

CONCERNING REPRINT PERMISSION:Permission from the Latham Foundation to reproduce articles or other materialsthat appear in the Latham Letter is not required except when such material isattributed to another publication and/or authors other than the editors of thispublication. In that case, permission from them is necessary. When republishing,please use this form of credit: “Reprinted with permission from the Latham Letter,(date), quarterly publication of the Latham Foundation for the Promotion ofHumane Education, 1826 Clement Ave., Alameda, California 94501, 510-521-0920,www.Latham.org” Latham would appreciate receiving two copies of publicationsin which material is reproduced.

ABOUT THE LATHAM FOUNDATION:The Latham Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private operating foundation founded in1918 to promote respect for all life through education. The Foundation makesgrants-in-kind rather than monetary grants. Latham welcomes partnerships withother institutions and individuals who share its commitment to furthering humaneeducation.

TO CONTACT LATHAM:Voice: 510-521-0920Fax: 510-521-9861E-mail: [email protected]: http://www.Latham.org

MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS:Mr. Hugh H. Tebault, II (Emeritus)Ms. Denise CahalanMs. Suzanne CrouchMr. Noel DeDoraMrs. Marion HoltMs. Lynn Loar, Ph.D., LCSWMr. Dezsoe “Steve” NagyMr. Hugh H. Tebault, IIIMrs. Mary TebaultMrs. Laura Thompson

Balanced perspectives on humane issues and activities

The Latham LetterVol. XXII, No. 2, Spring 2001 Contents

EDITORIAL: Educational Expectations by Hugh H. Tebault, III 4

Letters and Comments 5

In Remembrance — Roger A. Caras by Ann Gearhart 6

LATHAM LAUDS — Paws for Peace™ 7

Assessing the Effectiveness of Our HumaneEducation Interventions with High-Risk Children by Barbara W. Boat, Ph.D. 8

What is Humane Education? A Canadian Perspective by Tim Battle 10

Upcoming Conferences and Workshops 11

Teaching Gentleness to Troubled Children A Latham Co-sponsored Conference 12

Calling all Humane Educators!APHE Members Gather in Pasadena by Jean L. McGroarty 13

Latham Letter Back Issues with “Links” Articles 14

Putting the “Link” All Together:Ontario SPCA’s Violence Prevention Initiative by Phil Arkow 15

Ontario SPCA’s Women’s Shelter SurveyShows Staggering Results by Craig Daniell 16

Call for Entries – Video Awards 2001 18

The Long History of Pet Licensing Says MuchAbout Our Interactions with Dogs by Phil Arkow 19

PAN, Inc. Offers Two-Semester Certificate Course 20

MEDIA REVIEWS 21

Teaching Compassion — A Latham Publication 23

The Latham Letter, Spring 2001 3

Edith Latham’s Mandate“To promote, foster, encourage and furtherthe principles of humaneness, kindnessand benevolence to all living creatures.”

Editorial:

view education as a tool throughwhich society passes on its

knowledge to the next generation.These lessons from the past helpchildren learn to cooperate; in turn, thisimproves the likelihood that when theybecome adults they will be able tocooperate with others who may havedifferent opinions. Latham has alwaysencouraged teachers who work withcommunity standards and pass on thecore lessons in good times as well asbad. I remember several very goodteachers who challenged me to learn.You probably also remember thoseteachers who took the time to help you.

I am presently aware of threedifferent teachers in three differentschool districts who I consider to bevery good teachers. They are all quit-ting teaching because of the deplorableconditions in which they are forcedto work. What are these conditions? Arethey aged facilities, limited supplies,not enough money? No. These teach-ers work with and accept these condi-tions. It’s other factors that are forcingthem out of the teaching profession.

Teacher One has taught elementarystudents for fifteen years, often usingpersonal money to make sure that thelessons she teaches have the contentthey must have. She is recognized as akey asset in her school, as someonewho can help the most difficult studentssucceed. She is leaving because of threemain problems: 1) Parents who do notaccept responsibility and threaten herif their children don’t get the grade theywant, 2) Administrators who care lessabout their students and more abouttheir own territory, and 3) Teachers

4 The Latham Letter, Spring 2001

because their school systems do notsupport them. The question we mustnow face is how can we learn from themistakes we have made as a societyand make the system work again.

Your local school district is at thefoundation of education. Each statemay have somewhat different require-ments, but the result should be thatchildren learn the basic tools ofreading, writing, and arithmetic. Thesetools will enable them to succeed in allother subjects. Schools should not beplaces for political indoctrination. Theyshould provide a balanced presentationof those societal values that the localcommunity and state find appropriate.

As a citizen, I encourage you topay attention to the society aroundyou. The schools are where we prepareour future. Are they developing thedesire to learn? Are they giving thestudents tools they need to developcritical thinking? Are they giving thestudents proper preparation fortomorrow’s world?

As a parent, I encourage you towork with your children, their teachers,and schools. Be knowledgeable,helpful, and considerate. We are apluralistic society that gets its strengthfrom our unique and varied back-grounds. If our children acquire a loveof learning from their teachers, theywill learn for themselves throughouttheir lifetimes.

Educational Expectations

Hugh H. Tebault, III, PresidentI Unions that, in order to make theirpoint to the public, demand her moneyand then insist that she not work extrahours helping students. This triad hasforced her to leave the profession.

The second teacher is newer to theprofession. At first he was thrilled tohave a chance to pass on his love forscience to elementary students, but hisfirst couple of years have dimmedhis enthusiasm. Instead of supportinghim, the system put hurdles in hispath. Rather than allowing him to “justteach,” he was in a position that wasconstantly at the risk of political whims.Eventually this uncertainty weighedon him enough to make him changecareer paths in order to support hisyoung family.

Teacher Three has more than 25years in the profession. Her passion hasalways been to teach and help herstudents excel. Unfortunately, theschool leaders and district administra-tors are constantly weaving back andforth – supporting f irst one, thenanother of the dozens of government-mandated programs and reportingrequirements. Few of these programslast long enough to make a difference.They create more political paperworkthan educational results. She too isleaving, at least for a while, to “takea breath of fresh air.”

I am but one person and I know ofthese three people who want to teach,love to teach, love to help others, butunder their current situations feeldriven away from this profession.These teachers are not leaving becauseof low salaries. They did not go intoteaching for the pay. They are leaving

More Praise for Teaching CompassionThank you for sending the materials and book, Teaching Compassion. As an animal

lover and owner, I appreciate the work the author has done on behalf of children,animals, and the community. Wherever possible, I will share this information with othersthat I may come in contact with should the appropriate opportunity arise.

From the Maryland Family ViolenceCouncil – Concerning “The Link”Dear Mr. Tebault:

Thank you for writing to AttorneyGeneral J. Joseph Curran regarding thelink between domestic violence andanimal abuse.

Attorney General J. Joseph Curranand Lt. Governor Kathleen KennedyTownsend formed the Family ViolenceCouncil in 1995 in order to reduce andprevent domestic violence in Maryland.The Council comprises leaders through-out the state who represent systems thathave a direct impact on the way domes-tic violence cases are handled.

As part of the Council’s mission,each of Maryland’s counties has estab-lished a local family violence coordinat-ing council. Similar to the Council on thestate level, the local councils work to end

Sincerely,Sue Stoneman, Department AnalystSonoma County (California) Office of CommissionsCommission on Human RightsHuman Services CommissionCommission on the Status of Women


Letters and Comments

domestic violence through a coordinatedcommunity response.

Recently, many of the local coun-cils have invited representatives from theHumane Society to work on domesticviolence issues, and when necessary,particular cases. The following domes-tic violence service providers have fo-cused on the link between domestic vio-lence and animal abuse: Houses of Ruthin Baltimore City; Turnaround in Bal-timore County; Cecil County DomesticViolence/Rape Crisis Center; HeartlyHouse in Frederick County; Mid-ShoreCouncil on the Upper Eastern Shore; andthe Family Crisis Center in PrinceGeorge’s County. And, as indicated inThe Latham Letter, Volume XX, Num-

ber 1, “Baltimore Police Department istaking a national leadership role in in-cluding animal welfare in its domesticviolence prevention.”

The Family Violence Council ispleased to be able to support the work ofthe local councils. Education the com-munity about the link regarding animaland human abuse is essential to endingthe cycle of violence.

Thank you again for your letter andyour commitment to this issue.

Sincerely,Jodi Finkelstein, MSWDirector

The Office of Commissions shares your mission ofteaching compassion to others. Thank you for making usaware of this work, which will be joining our departmentresource library.

Roger A. Caras, ASPCA President Emeritis,Dies at Age 73

n his book A Perfect Harmony,Roger Caras introduced us to

this question: “What would today’sworld be like if we had not domes-ticated animals?”

For those of us in the field ofhumane education, that is a questionwithout beginning or end. Thecomplexities of animals – domestic,wild, exotic, winged, hooved, finnedand furred – interlaces our lives everyday. In our journey to understand theextended family of animals, we oftenlooked to Roger to give voice to thebeauty of the animal kingdom, reasonfor our co-existence, and reason torejoice in the human-animal bond. Wecontinue to marvel at the pyramid ofwords he composed and collected as aguide for learning, compassion andcelebration.

Midway through February, theretired President of the “A,” ABC’sspecial correspondent for animals andthe environment, author, and annualvoice of the Westminster Kennel Club,was lost to us as his cycle of years cameto a close. As each of us heard thatnews, we must have hesitated for amoment in disbelief – remembering ourfavorite book, when we last heard Rogerspeak, or how long it had been sincewe learned from his commentaries.Lamenting our loss, we grieved over thereality of his departure from the worldof animals and the environment.

Now, in Roger’s absence, our re-sponsibility to follow in his footstepshas become even more critical, andeven more challenging. Everyone whoselected his books, followed his vision-ary video journeys through jungle,forest or stream, and celebrated his riseto international prominence in the

In 1991, Roger Caras becamethe 14th President of theAmerican Society for thePrevention of Cruelty to

Animals (ASPCA),after serving seventeen yearsas the Special Correspondent

on Animals and theEnvironment for ABC News.Previously, he had been theHouse Naturalist for eight

years at NBC News. He hasauthored more than 70 booksabout animals. After retiring

in 1999, he was namedPresident Emeritus of

The ASPCA.


realm of animal welfare and protection,realizes that his footsteps stand alone.We rejoice in the years of languageand knowledge he shared so gener-ously. We hold his vision of the impor-tance of our world and its inhabitantsin our hearts and minds as we go aboutour professions.

Perhaps the greatest loss for us asmembers of the Association of Profes-sional Humane Educators and of theanimal welfare community is thatRoger Caras actually knew humaneeducators! He knew who we were andwhat we did. He supported the conceptof humane education. He could havecalled many of us by name and hecongratulated us on our endeavors.Now the question for us may be, “Whatwill our world be like without thevision and voice of Roger? Moreimportantly, what will life be like forthe riches of our world known as floraand fauna, without his wisdom andinterpretation?”

Roger has passed the torch. Weneed to understand and protect theharmony he recognized and loved. Wewill always miss him, but he wouldwant us to follow the road he blazed sopassionately and eloquently so thatin his absence, we can do our part toprotect the animals and earth sosignificant to his days with us.

Ann Gearhart is Humane EducationDirector, Snyder Foundation forAnimals in Baltimore, MD and BoardMember, Association of ProfessionalHumane Educators (APHE). She maybe reached at 410.366.0787.

In Remembrance

Roger Caras1928 - 2001

By Ann Gearhart

I

Paws for Peace™

(from our cover)


(See Page 21for a review of

The Dog Whispererby Paul Owens.)

Paws for Peace™ is a partner program of Paul Owens’ Raisewith Praise® Reward-Based Dog Training. It is an after-schoolviolence prevention program for elementary school childrenin Southern California.

Owens explains, “If kindness works for dogs, it willwork for you. Because how we treat animals is directlyrelated to how we treat each other.” Through Paws forPeace, children learn the important connection of treat-ing friends, family, and the environment with the samekindness and respect that we show to animals. The Paws for Peace™ program begins with alight-hearted look at being nonviolent. Childrenlearn the importance of viewing dogs as individu-als with their own unique personality. Getting toknow dogs as individuals is important for safetyreasons as well as for developing the best pos-

sible environment for positive health andgrowth. Children learn simple

breathing and relaxationmethods that they

can use

when they feel stressed or excited. These methods canhelp them calm a dog, or gain self-control in anargument, before a big game, or before a test.

Children learn how to safely approach a dog,how to pet a dog, and what to do if a dog charges.The program offers other important, real-lifesafety tips including avoiding guns.

When time permits, children have an oppor-tunity to practice reward-based dog trainingwith shelter dogs. In reward-based training,clicker and target training replace traditionalmethods such as jerking, hitting, kicking,shocking and shaking. This win-winprogram teaches kindness, respect, empa-thy, and responsibility. In turn, shelter dogs areplaced in loving homes.

For further information, contact Paul Owens, P.O. Box10335, Burbank, CA 91510, 800-269-3591, Fax 818-506-0109,www.raisewithpraise.com.

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21

Assessing the Effectiveness of ourHumane Education Interventionswith High-Risk Children

session.” If your goal is to “enhanceself-esteem” and having parents and chil-dren participate together is essential toyour intervention, one objective might bethat parents and children together attend90% of the sessions. (Please note that anyprogram that gets 90% participationmust be fabulous! The show rate for high-risk families in therapy is less than 50%.)

Objectives are your working words.These words are not grand, attention-getting or necessarily inspiring. The jobof objectives is to communicate to youand to others what you think is impor-tant to accomplish in order to “makea difference” in the lives of high-riskchildren and what you are actuallydoing to get the changes you want.

Realistic Expectations.We tend to be optimistic and a bit

grandiose about the power of our inter-ventions to effect change in people’slives. Problems arise when we ask toomuch of our interventions and too muchof our participants. The purpose of thisarticle is to provide a set of realisticexpectations when assessing yourhumane education program that involveshigh-risk children and their families.

Realistic Expectation #1:Humility helps.

I am a child psychologist who workswith high-risk (abused, neglected,traumatized) children and their families.My work provides daily lessons inhumility. I like to think that myinterventions result in better copingskills. However, when change does occur,I know that many factors having nothingto do with me may be central. Maybe

the sexually abused little six-year-old issleeping better because I have talkedabout the Safe Touching Behavior Rulesand given ideas to her mother for abetter bedtime routine. But maybeduring this time her grandmother hascome to stay with the family andprovided critical support. Perhaps theoffender was just incarcerated, relievingher stress, or she has started a newmedication to reduce physical symptomsof anxiety. Her behavior change isdue to many things, some of which Iwill never know. Maybe the behaviorchange (sleeping through the night) willlast and maybe it won’t.

We cannot take sole credit forbehavior change. We cannot say ourintervention caused a behavior change.But we can: 1) describe the outcomeswe would like; 2) figure out a way tomeasure them; 3) describe ourinterventions, and 4) determine if thebehavior (or attitude or knowledge) wewanted actually happened. If we are ableto document change, we can humbly saythat there appears to be a relationshipbetween our interventions and the child’sbehaviors.

Realistic Expectation #2:We can’t prove that our interventionsare effective.

Just take my word for it or take acourse in the philosophy of science.Researchers who study nonmedicalinterventions with human beings neveruse the word “prove.” We should noteither. This is another way of saying“Be humble” as human behavior istoo complex and multi-determined tobe otherwise. And don’t say “prove”ever again.


“I know my humane educationprogram makes a difference

in the lives of high-risk children. Now,how do I prove it?”

Sound familiar? Even if we don’t sayso aloud, we really are convinced that ourprograms make a difference in someimportant way and, hopefully, make adifference forever. Otherwise, why wouldwe bother? Here are some of the goalsI have heard proposed to describeoutcomes of humane education withhigh-risk children:

❖ Enhance self-esteem❖ Increase child’s ability to delay

gratification❖ Create a more compassionate

child❖ Create respect for needs of

animals and humans❖ Enhance empathy for all living

things❖ Make child a better student,

person and citizen.

Goals vs. Objectives.I am not arguing against lofty goals

– they should represent your dreams andwishes for your program in the best ofall possible worlds. Goals are to bestrived for. But goals are not the basisfor program evaluation. Objectives are.Objectives can be measured. Objectivesspecifically describe what you intend toachieve and guidelines for determiningsuccess. If your goal is to “create a morecompassionate child,” one relevantbehavioral objective for an eight-year-old child who has been exposed toaggressive dogs in her neighborhood andis very fearful of dogs might be “to brushthe therapy dog three strokes at each

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❖by Barbara W. Boat, Ph.D.

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89

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5

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3Realistic Expectation #3:It can be tough to figure out what ques-tions are the most important to ask orwhat behaviors are the most importantto assess. When in doubt, more is better.

Irv Yalom, a well-known therapist,asked a new client to do an exercise withhim. In a diary she would note the eventsduring each session that were the mosthelpful to her. Yalom would keep separatenotes on what he perceived to be mosthelpful to her.

When therapy ended, they sharedtheir observations. Yalom noted that hisinsights and interpretations (the tech-niques) were the most powerful aspectsof the sessions. The client wrote that whatmattered most to her was that he wasthere when she came, he welcomed her,and he believed she could change (therelationship). If Yalom had assumed histechniques were paramount, given her alist of his techniques and asked onlyabout these, he would have missedimportant feedback. What you will getout of your evaluation will depend onwhat you decide to put in. It is better tohave too much information than too little.

Realistic Expectation #4:Your program evaluation won’tanswer all your questions the firsttime through.

Before planning your assessment,decide how you want to use theinformation you get. Who is youraudience? Try to stick with this. Need toconnect with your funding source?Information about numbers of childrenserved and reliable documentation ofbehavior change or knowledge increasemay be most useful. Want to make yourprogram more responsive to yourparticipants’ needs? Feedback fromparticipants and anecdotal observationsmay be your best approach. You canalways fine-tune your evaluation thenext time.

Realistic Expectation #5:There is no single best instrument tohelp you measure the impact of yourprogram.

How I wish there were! But the nicething is that you have choices. Thus,


depending on what you want to assess,you can use questionnaires, surveys,rating scales, observations, contentevaluations that can include interviews,anecdotal feedback, cognitive tests(short answer, matching, multiple choice,essay and true-false), and attitudesurveys. You can videotape and codebehaviors. (See Methods For Measure-ment: A Guide For Evaluating HumaneEducation Programs by Vanessa Mal-carne, available through the NAHEEwebsite).

Remember, to demonstrate change,you need to assess before the interventionbegins and after the intervention ends(pre and post measures). You can measurethe gains made by each child pre andpost. Or you can compare one group ofchildren who participate in your programwith a similar group of children who donot participate in your program (controlgroup) if you have the support for thiskind of research.

Don’t forget that you also can collectimportant information based on numberof participants who stayed with theprogram, kinds of questions andconcerns they had, spontaneous orsolicited comments from caregivers,number of requests for information, andfollow-up activities of participants, suchas continuing to be involved with ahumane society.

Realistic Expectation #6:Get assistance before you start.

Take a colleague or friend withresearch skills to lunch. If you live in acommunity where there is a local collegeor technical school, ask departmentsthat provide courses in education,psychology, counseling, or statistics ifthey will partner with you. Perhaps thereis a student who will work on your projectfor credit. It’s all about networking. Areal win-win!

Realistic Expectation #7:We are all biased. Garbage in,garbage out.

We all want our pet project to lookgood and we will most likely do whatconfirms that expectation. If I ask “Tellme all the ways my intervention has

helped you,” I leave you no way to tellme how it might have harmed you -unless you are very assertive! If Iassume the boy sitting near the dogand rocking back and forth as he petsthe dog is communing comfortably withthe animal, I may miss the fact that theboy really has to go to the bathroom.Teaming up with other professionalsprovides a check and balance for ournormal biased ways of being.

Realistic Expectation #8:Not everyone will be as excited aboutdoing a program evaluation as you are.

Get input and suggestions earlyfrom staff and volunteers. They will havesome great ideas, and this increases “buyin” potential. Their support is critical ifthey will be gathering information. Youmust obtain consent from the child andthe child’s guardian to do yourevaluation. Not all of them will say O.K.Protect conf identiality always! Theinformation you obtain about particularindividuals should not be shared withanyone without permission.

Realistic Expectation #9:We will never know unless we ask! Andnumbers count so go get some data!

One of the greatest contributions youcan make to the welfare of at-risk animalsand at-risk children and their familiesis to fearlessly ask the questions youthink are important and meticulouslydocument what you do in your inter-vention program. This way your programwill have the best chance of beingreplicated if it is successful. Finally, although your most importantinformation may not be contained innumbers, numbers do count and are apowerful asset when lobbying forprograms. So go get some data!

And good luck!

Barbara Boat, Ph.D., is Associate Professor,Department of Psychiatry, University ofCincinnati College of Medicine, and Director,Childhood Trust, Children’s Hospital andMedical Center. She treats, trains, andconducts research in childhood trauma andmaltreatment and is the Vice Presidentand Secretary of the Pryor Foundation.

umane Education, simplyput, is a way of teaching that

encourages kindness to animals, peopleand the environment. Through itsapproach and subject content, humaneeducation promotes an understandingof the human responsibility to carefor, and about, living things and theearth we share.

Humane Education in the classroomincorporates an exploration of human,animal and environmental needs andconcerns, to teach children a personalsense of responsibility and compassion.At a time when children are forming theirown moral code, humane educationstrives to encourage them to considerdifferent issues: the needs, feelings andsuffering of others (including animals);the effects of one’s own actions; andone’s own place in the world relative toother living beings.

Humane education is not simplyinstruction on animal care (though thatis included); nor is it a separate subjectto be taught. Humane education is anapproach to instruction that permeatesthe curriculum with concern for allliving creatures. It is “taught” throughthe provision of necessary knowledgeand skills to demonstrate responsiblecare, through the choice of appropriateteaching methods and resources, and bythe teacher’s own example in modelingkindness and respect.

It has long been accepted thatpromoting kindness to animals leads tokinder people. As early as 1897 it wasrecognized that “children must not bepermitted to cause pain because ofthe effect on the children themselves”(Sarah Eddy writing in Friends andHelpers). In 1933 the U.S. NationalParent-Teacher Association stated that“Children trained to extend justice,kindness and mercy to animals becomemore just, kind and considerate in their

relations with one another. Charactertraining along these lines in youthswill result in men and women ofbroader sympathies. They will be morehumane, more law-abiding, and in everyrespect, more valuable citizens.”

Modern research is proving theselong-held beliefs; recent studies showthat violent criminals such as serialkillers often start their destructivepatterns by abusing animals. Conversely,many children who abuse animalshave themselves been abused. This linkhas been cited by the federal JusticeMinistry as justification for the need toreform the criminal code sections dealingwith animal cruelty. In Alberta, the TaskForce on Children at Risk noted in itsApril 2000 report Start Young, Start Now!that cruelty to animals is a warningsign. It is an indication that a child maybe at risk of enacting further violence.

The need for a humane approach toeducation becomes more apparentwhen viewed in this context. Teachersneed to be aware of warning signs andknow what actions to take if they suspecta child is abusing animals or has beenabused. Likewise, the difference betweena child’s natural curiosity and inten-tional cruelty needs to be recognized.Occasionally discussions about petsor the presence of an animal in theclassroom will prompt unsettlingdisclosures from children. All of theseinstances provide opportunities forteachers and child welfare professionalsto reach out to the child and attemptto break the cycle of violence.

The Alberta SPCA helps to promotea circle of caring through its humaneeducation program. We provide teacherswith appropriate tools to help theirstudents become more compassionate.Our AnimalWise newsletter is sent toover 600 teachers, social workers andyouth group leaders throughout the

province. We provide speakers (staff orvolunteers) to address a variety of gradelevels and topics. We operate a librarywhich lends videos, books and computersoftware to teachers throughoutAlberta. We promote the use of computersimulations as an alternative todissection. Through our involvementwith the Alberta Teachers’ Association’sSafe and Caring Schools Initiative, wecooperate with other crime preventionagencies in promoting kindness. Weattend teachers’ conventions and speakto teachers, student teachers and othergroups about the importance of humaneeducation and practical ways to includeit in the classroom.

You can help to spread the wordabout humane education. Ask a teacheryou know if they are aware of the AlbertaSPCA’s humane education program.If not, have them contact our office orvisit our website at www.albertaspca.orgto sign up. We also need volunteerswho are willing and able to speak toelementary school classes. If you areinterested, contact our head off ice.Training is provided.

By working together, we can makethe world a kinder place for animals, andfor the people who care for them.

What is Humane Education? A Canadian Perspective

Tim Battle worked as an environmentalengineer in Western Canada and overseasfor several years before entering the teachingprofession. His teaching career includedfive years teaching disturbed teens at atreatment center, where he observed theconnection between child abuse and crueltyto animals. He became the Director ofEducation for the Alberta SPCA in August1999. In connection with his current duties,he sits on the Safe and Caring Schoolssteering committee of the Alberta Teachers’Association and on the humane educationcommittee of the Canadian Federation ofHumane Societies. He can be reached at780-447-3600 or [email protected].

by Tim Battle


H


2001200120012001 Upcoming Conferences and W

orkshopsMayMay 4-5 — National Fundraising Workshop, Englewood,Colorado. Sponsored by Grizzard Communicationsand the American Humane Association. Information:Resource Center, American Humane Association 800-227-4645.

May 5-6 — Pet Adoptathon 2001, Sponsored bythe North Shore Animal League America. Pet AdoptathonNational Headquarters: Lewyt Street, Port Washington,NY 11050, www.petadoptathon.com, 1-877-236-9725.

May 7-8 — Cat Behavior in the Animal Shelter,Pasadena Humane Society, Pasadena, CA. Information:Resource Center American Humane Association, 800-227-4645 or Liz Baronowski, Pasadena Humane Societyand SPCA, 626-792-7151.

May 10-11 — The Fourth International CompanionAnimal Welfare Conference, Sponsored by NorthShore Animal League America and the NationalCanine Defense League. Istanbul, Turkey. For regis-tration information: Europe [email protected];All others: Pet Savers Foundation, Phone 516-883-3738.Fax 516-944-5035, e-mail [email protected].

May 14-16 — Asia for Animals Symposium, Manila,Philippines. Hosted by The Philippine Animal WelfareSociety in cooperation with Humane Society International,SPCA Hong Kong, and the International Fund for AnimalWelfare. For online information and registration visit:http://news.china.com/zh_cn/animals.

May 17-19 — NACA (National Animal Control Associa-tion) Training Conference. Daytona Beach, FL. 800-828-6474. [email protected] or www.nacanet.org.

JuneJune 1-2 — Metaphors in Mental Health with MaureenFredrickson, Molly DePrekel, and Tanya Welsch. A two-day workshop for mental health providers and animalprofessionals who provide Animal Assisted Therapy.Fredonia, NY (near Buffalo) Information: Tanya Welsch651-699-9558 [email protected] or Maureen Fredrick-son 716-672-6234 [email protected].

June 1-3 — Kinship With All Life: A Conference Celebrat-ing Our Relationship With Animals And Nature. San Fran-cisco. 1-800-862-7538, www.Kinshipconference.com.

June 14-16 — Dances with Animals (A guided experien-tial workshop to discover our communication skills withanimals), Best Friends Animal Sanctuary, Kanab, UT84741, 435-644-2001, www.bestfriends.org.

June 15-16 — Euthanasia by Injection, Novato, CA.Information: Resource Center American HumaneAssociation, 800-227-4645 or Stephanie Albrecht,Marin Humane Society 415-883-4621 Ext. 250.

June 29-30 — Public Relations in the Animal Shelter,Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA, Pasadena,CA. Sponsored by the American Humane Association.Information: Resource Center, AHA, 800-227-4645 or LizBaronowski, Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA,626-792-7151.

JulyJuly 12-14 — Teaching Respect, Best FriendsAnimal Sanctuary, Kanab, UT 84741, 435-644-2001,www.bestfriends.org.

AugustAugust 16-19 — Doing Things for Animals SeventhAnnual No-Kill Conference, Hartford, CT. For spon-sorship, exhibitor, and all other information, contactDTFA, 59 So. Bayles Ave., Part Washington, NY11050-3728. Phone 516-883-7767, Fax 516-944-5035or www.dtfa.org.

SeptemberSeptember 13-15 — The 9th International Conferenceon Human-Animal Interactions, “People and Animals:A global perspective for the 21st Century.” ConferenceSecretary at www.iahaio.org or www.afirac.org.

OctoberOctober 10-13 — Tufts Animal Expo, Boston, MA,800-642-9429, www.tuftsanimalexpo.com.

orty people joined Barbara Boat, Donna Duford,Lynn Loar, Randy Lockwood, Carol Rathmann and

Morgan Spector in San Francisco, February 2-3, 2001, toexamine humane techniques to teach gentleness to childrenfrom violent homes and communities.

The conference was supported and sponsored by localand national organizations: The Humane Society of SonomaCounty, the Humane Society of the United States, the LathamFoundation, The Pryor Foundation, and the San FranciscoDepartment of Animal Care and Control. Many participantshad recently begun programs serving at-risk children. Otherswere eager to get started in the near future. People came fromall parts of the country and Canada showing the great interestin reaching troubled children.

The conference stressed the need to see the children asmembers of troubled families and marginalized communities,and to design interventions respectful of these ties. Involvingparents as well as the children clearly offers the most respect-

Randall Lockwood, Ph,D., VP for Research andEducational Outreach for the Humane Society ofthe United States, makes a point.


ful and effective way to reshape potentiallyviolent energy into constructive behaviors. Byteaching families to train animals using oper-ant conditioning and a marker signal (clickertraining), positive reinforcements and treatsexclusively, humane educators can introduceneeded skills without asking a child to choosebetween kindness and family ties. The con-ference also presented the rationale for assess-ing and evaluating programs, and gave practi-cal suggestions for getting started with easyand useful pre and post tests. Barbara Boat’sarticle on page eight in this issue of theLatham Letter is an outgrowth of that work-shop. The Pryor Foundation intends to makeavailable on its web page various instrumentsin use and serve as a clearinghouse for researchand program development. Take a look atwww.Pryorfoundation.com. Clearly, there isgreat interest in expanding humane educationto reach at-risk children and their families.

The sponsoring organizations and presentersare planning to expand the conference offerings

for next year. Hold the dates: Feb. 7-9, 2002,in San Francisco and a pre-conference visit

on Feb. 6 to the award-winning

Forget-Me-Not Farm program atthe Humane Society of Sonoma County.

F

Participants play the clicker game beside beautifulSan Francisco Bay.

Latham co-sponsorssuccessful conference:

Teaching Gentlenessto Troubled Children

Calling all Humane Educators!

tart with 30 humane educators from around the country. Add creative excur-sions to Southern California museums, lots of networking and stimulating

speakers. What do you get? Excitement, fun and a roomful of ideas!

The Association of Professional Humane Educators (APHE) – formerly WHEEA –met February 1-4 in Pasadena for their annual conference. Hosted by the Pasadena

Humane Society and SPCA and the American SPCANational Shelter Outreach, the program included fieldtrips to the Eton Canyon Nature Center, the SouthwestMuseum, and a walking tour of Old Pasadena.

“Combine the energy of the twenty-somethingcrowd, the questioning and searching of brand new humaneeducators, and the wisdom and experience of seasonedhumane educators and you have a whirlwind of a confer-ence,” observed Best Friends Animal Sanctuary HumaneEducator and APHE President Nathania Gartman.

Participants got a behind-the-scenes tour of the

Association ofProfessional Humane

Educators (APHE) MembersGather in Pasadena

by Jean L.McGroarty


S

Liz Baronowskiof the PasadenaHumane Society

and SPCA,proudly displays

the artifactsof her Native

AmericanCulture.

Pasadena’s beautiful Southwest Museum.

Nature Center, and the Center itself served as the backdrop for discussions on program assessment,creative role-playing to devise new activities for target groups, and nature observation, all led by JulieBank of Maricopa County (Arizona) Animal Care and Control Services.

At the Southwest Museum, staff and docents treated conference-goers to Native Americananimal stories and tours of the museum. Gartman facilitated Native American culture discoveries.

Animal communicator Lydia Hiby spoke on “The Art of Listening,” and Dr. ElliotM. Katz of In Defense of Animals offered lesson plans to promote “Guardianship, NOTOwnership.”

Ann Gearhart of the Snyder Foundation for Animals in Baltimore shared ideas tohelp humane educators work with teachers and presented curriculum-integratedclassroom programs. Other speakers included Mickey Long of Eaton Canyon NatureCenter, Liz Baronowski, Pasadena Humane Society and SPCA, and Mitch Sigal ofthe SPCA/LA.

According to Sam Marstellar of the ASPCA National Shelter Outreach Program,“I think this year’s conference was a good step in helping to give APHE a more nationalfocus.”

Gilbert Lopez of the El Centro(California) Police Departmentconidently finishes his “makeand take” project.

Next year’s APHE conference will take place in Baltimore, Maryland, in early March.Those interested in learning more about APHE and membership in the organization

should contact: Ann Gearhart, The Snyder Foundation for Animals3600 Clipper Mill Road • Suite 224 • Baltimore, MD 21211, Phone 410-366-0787.

Latham Letter BACK ISSUES containing “Links” ArticlesThe following back issues containing articles on the connections between child and animal abuse and

other forms of domestic violence are available from the Foundation for $2.50 each,plus $3.00 Priority Mail Postage and Handling for up to 10 issues (U.S. and Canada).

Foreign orders please add $10.00. California residents please add 8% sales tax. MasterCard and VISA accepted.

__ Milwaukee Humane Society’s “PAL” Program: At-Risk KidsLearn Respect through Dog Obedience Training Winter 94

__ Latham Confronts Child and Animal Abuse Spring 94

__ A Humane Garden of Children, Plants, and Animals Growsin Sonoma County Spring 94

__ Education and Violence: Where Are We Going? A Guest Editorial Spring 94

__ Bedwetting, Fire Setting, and Animal Cruelty as Indicators ofViolent Behavior Spring 94

__ Animal Abuse and Domestic Violence: Intake Statistics Tella Sad Story Spring 94

__ The Veterinarian’s Role in the Prevention of Violence Summer 94

__ Results of Latham’s National Survey on Child andAnimal Abuse Summer 94

__ Israel Conference Puts the Link Between Animal and ChildAbuse on the Public Agenda Summer 94

__ Wisconsin Coalition Organizes Anti-Abuse Conference Summer 94

__ A Shared Cry: Animal and Child Abuse Connections Fall 94

__ A Report on Latham’s October 1992 Conference on Childand Animal Abuse Winter 93

__ Child Abuse Reporting Hotline Falls Short Winter 93

__ I Befriended a Child Molester Spring 93

__ A Test for Determining Why Children are Cruel to Animals Summer 93

__ Animal Advocates Looking Out for Children (A descriptionof the Toledo Humane Society’s child and animal abuseprevention program) Fall 93

__ Correlations Drawn Between Child and Animal Victimsof Violence Summer 92

__ Upsetting Comparisons (between child and animal crueltyinvestigations) Summer 92

__ Watching Ralph Smile (An animal welfare professional’sreminiscence) Summer 92

__ The Shape of Cruelty (A child protection professional’sperspective) Summer 92

__ Link Between Animal Cruelty and Child Abuse Described Summer 92

__ Putting the Abuse of Animals and Children in HistoricalPerspective Summer 92

__ The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child Winter 90

__ Dangerous Dogs: A Symptom of Dangerous People Fall 89

__ Latham’s Link Message Goes to South Africa Spring 00

__ Crossroads: An Intensive Treatment Program forAdolescent Girls Fall 00

__ Latham sponsors “Creating a Legacy of Hope”at British Columbia Conference Winter 00

__ New England Animal Control/Humane Task Force Spring/Summer 99

__ Confronting Abuse (A veterinarian and a social workerconfront abuse) Summer 98

__ The Human/Animal Abuse Connection Spring 98

__ The Relationship Between Animal Abuse And OtherForms Of Family Violence Winter 97

__ Domestic Violence Assistance Program ProtectsWomen, Children, and Their Pets in Oregon Summer 97

__ University of Penn. Veterinary Hospital Initiates AbuseReporting Policy Fall 97

__ Domestic Violence and Cruelty to Animals Winter 96

__ Animal Cruelty IS Domestic Violence Winter 96

__ Gentleness Programs (I Like the Policeman Who ArrestedThat Dog!) Spring 96

__ Loudoun County Virginia Develops Cooperative Responseto Domestic Violence Spring 96

__ And Kindness for ALL (Guest Editorial) Summer 96

__ Should Veterinarians Report Suspected Animal Abuse? Fall 96

__ Windwalker Humane Coalition’s Web of Hope Grows Stronger Fall 96

__ Update on the Link Between Child and Animal Abuse Fall 96

__ Report on Tacoma, Washington’s Humane CoalitionAgainst Violence Winter 95

__ Animal Cruelty & the Link to Other Violent Crimes Winter 95

__ Univ. of Southern California Conference Addresses ViolenceAgainst Children Spring 95

__ Working to Break the Cycle of Violence Spring 95

__ The Tangled Web: Report on LaCrosse, Wisconsin’sCoalition Against Violence Spring 95

__ Hawaii’s “Healthy Start” - a Successful Approach to thePrevention of Child Abuse & Neglect Summer 95

__ San Diego, Calif. Child Protection Workers Required toReport Animal Abuse Summer 95

__ Animals Over Children? (An Editorial by Michael Mountain,Editor, Best Friends Magazine) Summer 95

__ Summaries of Child and Animal Abuse PreventionConferences Summer 95

__ Abuse an Animal - Go To Jail! (Animal Legal DefenseFund’s Zero Tolerance for Cruelty) Summer 95

__ Report on Rhode Island Conference: Weaving a SilverWeb of Hope from the Tangled Threads of Violence Summer 95

__ Part 2: Hawaii’s Healthy Start Child Abuse Program Fall 95

The Latham FoundationLatham Plaza Building

1826 Clement Avenue • Alameda, California 94501(510) 521-0920 • FAX: (510) 521-9861

E-mail: [email protected]


n increasing number of humane organizations are recognizing that theirtraditional work to prevent animal abuse has wider implications to

Putting the

“Link” All

Together:

Ontario

SPCA’s

Violence

Prevention

Initiative

by Phil Arkow


Aprevent other forms of family violence. But perhaps no organization has undertakensuch an organized campaign as the Ontario SPCA, whose Violence PreventionInitiative is having a tremendous impact throughout Canada’s most populousprovince.

“Our goal is to take action and work together to create a kinder, morecompassionate Ontario for both animals and humans,” says Vicky Earle, CEO ofthe SPCA, whose 24 branches and 35 affiliates cover a province that is 1-1/2times larger than Texas. The Initiative’s goals are to increase awareness of theconnections between animal and human violence, to develop a clearerunderstanding of community violence, and to help social service, health, education,legal and law enforcement professionals develop effective prevention andintervention programs.

In 2000, the SPCA surveyed a group of women in Ontario women’s shelters.Some 44% had had pets abused or killed by their partners, 42% had pets threatenedby their partners, and 43% reported that concerns over the safety of their petsprevented them from leaving sooner. These findings mirrored American researchand an earlier SPCA study. The Ontario SPCA may be the only animal protectionorganization in North America to have a full-time violence prevention coordinatoron staff. Today, the Initiative has several key components:

▲ The Family Violence Assistance Program provides safe-haven shelteringfor pets of battered women. In 1999, 190 pets were sheltered. The networkof branches and affiliates makes it easy to move sheltered pets betweenfacilities to keep their whereabouts secret from batterers.

▲ The Youth and Animal Pilot Project (YAPP) is a groundbreaking 13-week rehabilitation program that matches hard-to-adopt shelter dogswith young offenders. The youths learn anger management, resolveconflicts peacefully, increase their empathy and tolerance for others, andrecognize their inherent self-worth by training dogs and making themmore adoptable.

▲ The Cross-Training Program is working with women’s shelters,Children’s Aid Society, parole, and elder abuse officials. The goal is totrain those who work with animals how to recognize human abusesand those working with humans how to recognize animal abuses.

▲ On Sept. 18-23, 2000, the Ontario SPCA held its third annual ViolencePrevention Week. Activities included a 5K Walk Against Violence andinteractive seminars for the public to discuss humane education, YAPP,and the animal cruelty connection in family violence and elder abuse.Educational, research and outreach materials are being published, andviolence prevention coalitions are taking a multidisciplinary approachto the links between animal abuse and human violence.

“Animal cruelty does not exist in a vacuum,” says Earle. “It is a powerfulindicator that other forms of violence may be happening in a home.”

ike many other individuals, I did not make theconnection between animal cruelty and human

violence until I attended a violence prevention conferencehosted by the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty toAnimals (Ontario SPCA) almost two years ago. I always hadnothing but contempt for individuals who abused animalsand considered domestic violence as one of the most cowardlyacts imaginable.

Once I became familiar with the Ontario SPCA’s ViolencePrevention Initiative, I became fully aware of how closely thetwo are related and that evidence of one is often a powerfulindicator of the other. The women’s shelter research on this‘link’ undertaken by the Ontario SPCA in 1998 and again in2000, only serve to underline this point.

The results of the original 1998 survey, the first of its kindin Canada, made an immediate impact and in part wereresponsible for the introduction of proposed legislation toamend the cruelty to animals provisions of the Criminal Codeof Canada. Nevertheless, the drawback of the survey wasthat it involved four women’s shelters and a limited numberof women. Nevertheless, it produced a number of startlingresults, the most powerful of which was that almost half thewomen surveyed (48%) indicated that concerns over theirpets well being had prevented them from leaving the abusivesituation sooner.

This startling statistic, coupled with the fact that most ofthe women’s shelters surveyed offered no assistance to houseanimals, prompted the Ontario SPCA to launch its FamilyViolence Assistance Program (FVAP) later that same year. Thepurpose of the Program is to provide temporary, emergencyhousing of the animals of women fleeing domestic abuse. TheProgram seeks to create a safe haven for the animal and anassurance to the woman that she need not delay leaving theabusive situation, but can enter a women’s shelter safe in theknowledge that her pets are receiving appropriate care. Overthe past two years, this Program has been very successful andthe Ontario SPCA has been able to house over two hundredFVAP animals a year.

The Ontario SPCA recognized the limitations inherent inthe original survey, particularly the fact that there had been alimited number of respondents and that it was not completelyrepresentative of the situation in the entire province of Ontario.This is what spurred us on to undertake a far more ambitiousresearch project, encompassing almost every women’s shelterin the province.

Ontario SPCA’s Women’s Shelter

Survey Shows Staggering Results

by Craig Daniell


During the months of May and June of 2000, the OntarioSPCA made contact with more than one hundred women’sshelters throughout the province of Ontario in an effort todetermine the level of awareness on the link between animalcruelty and human violence. Shelter supervisors were initiallyasked to reply to three questions:

• Were they aware of the initial research done by theOntario SPCA in 1998 on the ‘link’ between animalcruelty and human violence;

• Were they aware of the Family Violence AssistanceProgram (FVAP) initiated by the Ontario SPCA; and

• Would they be willing to participate in the 2000Province-Wide Women’s Shelter Survey?

Not surprisingly, many of the shelters that responded toour initial enquiry indicated that they were not aware of the‘link’ or of the FVAP services offered by the branches andaffiliates of the Society. Interestingly enough however, anumber of replies indicated that, although they were unawareof the ‘link’, it did not surprise them in the least.

Unfortunately some shelters indicated that they were “toobusy to participate in the survey”. Others simply did notreply. Nevertheless, the Ontario SPCA was able to convince atotal of twenty-one women’s shelters to participate in thesurvey. Among those participating, were shelters from largecities, such as Toronto, as well as those situated in ruralOntario. Additionally, among the one hundred and thirtywomen who participated in the survey were a number ofFrench-speaking women.

Shelter supervisors were requested to complete the surveyduring the month of July 2000. In addition, the survey wasto be completed as soon as possible after the woman hadentered the shelter, to ensure that information was as currentas possible.

A total of five questions were asked of each respondent,with the questions being identical to those used during the1998 survey. The questions were:

• Do you currently have a pet or other animal?• Has your partner ever hurt or killed one of your pets?• Has your partner ever threatened to hurt or kill one of

your pets?• Has any other member of your family ever hurt or killed

one of your pets?• Did concern over your pet’s welfare keep you from

coming to this shelter sooner than now?

L

Of the one hundred and thirty women surveyed, a total ofeighty had owned animals at the time of entering the women’sshelter. A further thirty-one women had owned an animalsometime in the twelve months prior to entering the particularshelter. As such, a total of one hundred and eleven women or85% of those surveyed had pets during the recent past and theinformation they provided was used in gathering the resultsof the survey.

The results of the 2000 province-wide survey were asfollows:Of the 111 women owning animals:

• 49 women or 44% of respondents stated that their partnerhad previously abused or killed one or more of their pets;

• 47 women or 42% of respondents stated that their partnerhad threatened to hurt or kill a family pet;

• 18 women or 16% of respondents confirmed that othermembers of the family had either abused or killed one oftheir pets; and

• 48 women or 43% of respondents stated that concernover their pet’s welfare had prevented them from leavingthe abusive situation sooner.

These results certainly confirmed the earlier work doneon the subject by the Ontario SPCA, especially that pertainingto women who delay leaving the abusive situation out of afear for the future well being of their animals. At the sametime, these results serve once again, as a sign that significantlymore needs to be done by government and other agencies toprovide assistance to women fleeing domestic abuse.

I believe the results of the survey also struck a cord withmany of the shelter supervisors who were kind enough toensure that the survey was completed. The Society receivedmany letters of support from these facilities, congratulatingus on our work and highlighting the importance of the closelink between domestic violence and animal abuse. Perhapsunintentionally, the survey certainly also created awarenessamong these truly committed individuals.

The results of the survey are staggering, but for those ofus working in the animal care field somewhat expected.However, we were certainly not prepared for the commentsmade by some of the women who responded to thequestionnaire. It is their comments that drive the pointunmistakably home:

• “While he was not physically abusive with the dog, hewas mentally cruel with her, but interestingly enough


that was how he treated myself. The dog was another‘tool’ he used to hurt me with. In the end the dog did goto a safe home and a loving family, but my daughtersand I were the ‘losers’ again. We lost our home, ourfriends and our little furry four legged friend.”

• “My partner chopped it (dog) up with an axe. Hethreatened to do the same thing to my family that he didto the dog if I left.”

• “Boyfriend ripped the head off my kitten. Ripping headoff my kitten stopped me from doing anything.”

• “The cat did not come home. I overheard partner say hehad obtained poison from a pharmacist and had killedthe cat and had enough left for me.”

• “Partner shot the dog in front of me. An extremely violentrelationship – beyond the scope of power and control –very violent. Fear for the dog was one of many concernsthat kept me from the shelter.”

These haunting comments provide unmistakable proofof how animals are used as a tool to manipulate the abusedspouse into remaining in an intolerable situation. Theyprovide evidence of the need for legislators to consider animalabuse in a more serious light, not only for the benefit of theanimal, but also to possibly prevent domestic and childabuse in the future.

More work needs to be done by the SPCA and humanesocieties across North America. Animal shelters mustrecognize that they need to open their doors to the animals ofwomen fleeing domestic violence. Turning a blind eye solvesnothing; many times the animal protection officer is inevitablycalled to investigate and take action in the particular case.Additionally, other agencies including government,veterinarians and women’s shelters need to understand the linkand open their doors to provide additional options to assistboth women and animals fleeing abuse.

Craig Daniell is Director of Investigations at the Ontario SPCA.In that position, he oversees the work of approximately 350animal cruelty investigators across the province of Ontario.Craig also has responsibility for the Society’s ViolencePrevention Initiative, an initiative that includes coalition building,animal assisted therapy (YAPP), cross training, outreach,research and the Family Violence Assistance Program.

Contact Information:Ontario SPCA, Provincial OfficeNewmarket, Ontario L3Y 4W1

Tel: 905-898-7122 x313Fax: 905-898-2167

email: [email protected]


C A L L F O R E N T R I E S

Win cash prizes, awards, and recognition.The Latham Foundation invites entries in its Search for Excellence Video Awards. The purposeof this program, which is held every two years, is to locate, honor, publicize, and encouragevideos promoting respect for all life.

Entry Deadline: December 31, 2001. Videos must have beencompleted in the two years prior to the deadline.

Entry Fee: $25.00

CATEGORIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:• Child & animal abuse/domestic violence prevention• Humane education and responsible animal care• The human companion animal bond• Advocacy/public policy• Animal behavior/natural history• Innovative humane education programs and projects worthy of replication• Public Service Announcements

For submission guidelines and an entry form, visit Latham’sweb site at www.latham.org or contact The Latham Foundation:

Latham Plaza Building1826 Clement Ave.Alameda, CA 94501

Phone 510-521-0920Fax 510-521-9861

Search for ExcellenceVideo Awards

It has always amazed me

how many community

pet problems could be solved

if people merely

licensed their pets.

Thousands of cities and countiesrequire dogs, and in many cases cats,to have a license. This tag gives themunicipality’s name, a registrationnumber, and the year(s) of validity.

It may be overstating the obvious,but 1 can’t tell you how many peopleI’ve talked with over the years whocan’t understand this excruciatinglysimple concept. If your pet is lost,someone calls the town clerk, animalcontrol authority or humane societyand gives them the license number.A simple cheek is run, you get a phonecall, and your pet is back home in afew hours. I’ve had people tell me theykeep the license in a desk. This doeswonders if your desk runs away fromhome, but I’ve never seen a deskrolling down the street.

I’ve had people tell me the tag istoo heavy for their dog. I’ve had peoplesay a fire hydrant-shaped tag is dis-criminatory. I’ve had them say a collarwill hurt the dog’s hair.

People will buy an expensiveengraved stainless steel name tag,but won’t buy a cheap license that doesthe same thing. Go figure.

I mention this because a fascinat-ing new report traces the early historyof dog tags. Dr. John Blaisdell ofthe University of Maine, writing in

Anthrozoos, describes the Dog Taxenacted in England in 1796. The taxlaid the groundwork for much oftoday’s animal control and licensingsystem. The dog tax was a response torepeated outbreaks of disease. As earlyas 1563, a severe outbreak of plagueprompted several London parishes toorder all dogs to be killed. A similardog slaughter was ordered in 1738 inEdinburgh to control rabies. There wererabies outbreaks in the 1760s and1790s. By 1795 it had become a majorsource of concern in the press. Over-zealous civil servants and a generousbounty resulted in wholesale dogslaughter. Among the victims of the1738 purge were dogs “that lead theblind about the streets” – an earlyreference to guide dogs. But in 1763the Earl of Uxbridge was charged withthe wrongful death of a neighbor’sspaniel, dampening the enthusiasm forindiscriminate dog killing.

Meanwhile, an increasing numberof dogs were becoming companionanimals rather than working ones, andas a result, serious problems emergedas pet owners took their animals withthem to church. Dogs, like theirowners, were banned from working onthe Sabbath, but collies and sheepdogswho accompanied their masters tochurch were well-behaved. Companiondogs, however, appear to have been lesspious, and sextons regularly appointed“dog-whippers” to keep caninecongregants in line.

In 1750 an article suggested that adog tax should be directed at thenumerous useless animals seen inevery town. Such a tax would also

eliminate dogs from the poor who,when rabies struck, were less able todeal with the crisis.

After several false starts, the dogtax was enacted on May 19, 1796. Thelaw divided dogs into three categories:sporting dogs (including hounds, point-ers, setters, spaniels, terriers, and some-thing called a “lurcher”); non-sportingdogs and packs of hounds. Fees werefive shillings, three shillings, and 20pounds, respectively. Early dog taxeswere used to pay off indemnity claimsfrom dogs that attacked livestock.

The law did not require a tag, andeven today the U.K. issues only apaper license. It was expected insteadthat owners would write their names onthe dogs’ collars. This provision carriedover to the U.S. and was enacted intoMassachusetts law in 1798.

Why metal tags never emerged inthe U.K. remains a mystery. The Inter-national Society of Animal LicenseCollectors believes Rostoek, Germanymay have issued tags in 1775 althoughthe oldest confirmed tag comes fromAmsterdam. Holland in 1797. NewMilford, CT issued paper certificatesin the 1840s. Massachusetts may haveissued a statewide license tag in 1861.The oldest confirmed American dogtag dates from 1865 in Middletown,Ohio. The earliest cat license wasissued in Grand Rapids. MI, in 1917.

If you’re a collector of pet tags,contact ISALC at 928 State Road 1106,Clinton, KY 42031. And if you’retraveling in England, there’s a museumof dog collars in Leeds.

The Long History of Pet LicensingSays Much About Our Interactions with Dogs

by Phil Arkow

Phil Arkow is a ContributingEditor to the Latham Letter.


Summer is almost here ... Going surfing?Here are three excellect online resources

for pet-friendly travel planning:

www.petsonthego.comwww.travelpet.com

www.travelpets.com

This certificate course will be offered in classroom and in distance-learning formats in: PHILADELPHIA, PA (dates to be announced, Fall, 2001) with Bill Roth, MA, MSW, Wordsworth CHICAGO, IL (dates to be announced, Fall, 2001) with Debbie Coultis, MA, PAN, Inc. MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL, MN, August 9-10 through February 17, 2002 with Tanya Welsch, MSW & Molly DePrekel, MA, LP, MN Linking Youth, Nature & Critters ([email protected] or www.mnlync.org) 651-699-9558

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Two-semester certificate courseoffered by PAN, Inc.(People, Animals, Nature - Debbie Coultis, MA & Aaron Ketcher, MD)

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ANIMALS IN HEALING ENVIORNMENTS:ANIMAL-ASSISTED THERAPY & EDUCATION

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In The Dog Whisperer, trainer Paul Owens offers a compassionate, non-violent approach to dog training. Because Owens is a yoga practitioner and teacheras well as a dog trainer, he incorporates intuitive and effective insights into histraining, resulting in positive dog care and management. He skillfully weaves hisnon-violent teachings into the principles of learning, helping create a deeper bondbetween human and canine partners.

As Owens explains in Chapter One: “The methods we choose to raise andtrain our dogs determine not only their behavioral responses, they also shape ourown emotional, physical, and intellectual growth. They help to define and shapewho we are as individuals and as a species. The goal is to learn and grow togetherand experience joy.”

Topics include clicker training, turning affection, play, and social activityinto powerful rewards and humanely solving behavioral problems such as jump-ing, barking, digging, chewing, and mouthing.

Since beginning his dog training career in 1972, Paul Owens has helpedthousands of families and individuals improve their dog-human relationships. Hehas earned awards in competitive obedience and is a certified evaluator for theDelta Society’s Animal Assisted therapy Program. Professional affiliationsinclude the Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) and the National Associa-tion of Dog Obedience Instructors (NADOI). He lives in Los Angeles with histwo dogs Molly and Gadget.

Norma Eckroate is the co-author of The New Natural Cat, The Natural Dog,It’s a Cat’s Life, and Switched-On Living. She lives in Los Angeles with two catsand is working on a book on the natural care of horses.


Spirit Animalsby Victoria Covell

Spirit Animals can change yourrelationship with animals. It is aprovocatively revealing book forthose who wish to understand themeaning behind encounters withanimals. Indigenous peoples allover the world honor the spiritualmessages of encouragement, warm-ing, recognition, and self-awarenessinherent in the moment of encounter.Now the author, and her son theillustrator, have created this guide todeveloping a deeper spiritual relation-ship and communication withanimals.

Spirit Animals offers the primalmessages embodied by 24 wildanimals, suggests how those mean-ings may apply to your life anincludes 24 moving stories ofpersonal encounters with animals inthe wild.

Spirit Animalsby Victoria Covell

DAWN PublicationsP.O. Box 2010Nevada City, CA 95959800-545-7475www.dawnpub.com$20.95ISBN 1-58469-010-0

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The Dog Whispererby Paul Owens withNorma Eckroate

Adams Media Corp.www.adamsmedia.com$10.95(Canada $15.95)Softcover140 pagesISBN# 1-58062-203-8

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32 pagesIllustrated paperbackReading level: 3rd to 5th gradeISBN 0-9664797-8-5Available directly from the author:

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Bailey Bymysideby Patricia Burlin KennedyIllustrations by Robert Christie

Howell Book Housewww.idgbooks.com$14.99 U.S.(Canada $22.99)ISBN 0-7645-6131-6


Bailey Bymyside:Golden Lessons for Lifeby Patricia Burlin Kennedy

Winsome, humorous, and inspir-ing, Bailey Bymyside is an upliftingstory about the innate intelligence ofdogs and the limitless joy they bringinto our lives. In a perfect marriage oftext and images, Patricia BurlinKennedy’s brief, poetic observationsand Robert Christie’s gorgeous colorpaintings celebrate the wisdom andcharm of America’s second mostpopular breed, the Golden Retriever.

Bailey is a very special Golden.She is a dog who constantly watchesover her household, quietly monitoringcomings and goings while keeping avigil at the bottom of the stairs eachnight until each of her charges is safelyat home and tucked into bed.

Bailey also teaches her people thevirtues of patience and dedication.She instinctively turns her attentionto whomever will benefit most fromher compassionate brown eyes andwagging tail, In her own unassumingway, Bailey gives of her time and en-ergy to lift the burdens of those aroundher, Bailey’s most important lesson ofall however, is that simple mercies arereward enough - both to the giver andrecipient.

Through the use of metaphorsgleaned from life with Bailey, Kennedy

shares timeless truths that speak to usall, whether we’ve had the privilegeof living with a Golden or not. “Baileytaught me that insights come when weconnect with our hearts,” she explains.Gems include the Zen-like “Searchfor the undiscovered with enthusiasmand find joy in the ordinary,” and theinspiring “When we see the worldthrough joyful eyes, the world becomesmore joyful.”

The idea for Bailey Bymysidecame to Kennedy as Bailey struggledagainst a life-threatening bout of ane-mia. Realizing that Bailey’s journeywas nearing its end, she reflected,“When we join our lives with our dogs,the joy and life-affirming vitality whichsustains this relationship transcends thesadness of the final farewell. I wasblessed with an unforgettable guidewho showed me the mystery of life.”

Kennedy hopes Bailey’s lessonswill open hearts and doors to otherGoldens in search of loving homes.She pays tribute to those who rescue,foster, and place homeless GoldenRetrievers.

Robert Christie’s evocative illus-trations perfectly capture Bailey’sspirit and charming personality. Hislove for and understanding of dogsshine through each beautiful portrait.This affordably priced gift book issure to strike a chord with dog loverseverywhere.

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Topics include the emotional connectionbetween children and animals, pet care, petoverpopulation, habitat loss, and the questionof hunting. The chapters are illustrated withchildren’s poems and colorful artwork showingthe meaning of the lessons to them. Thechapters also include poems by well-knownwriters to expose children to great poetryat an early age. There is a section devotedto handling disclosures of child or animalabuse. Appendices include lesson plans,vocabulary lists, innovative homeworkideas, techniques for teaching poetry writing,ideas for role plays, and an extensive resource list.

Pamela Raphael: Humane Educator, Humane Society of Sonoma County (1991-97) where she implementedclasses on responsible and compassionate treatment of animals in elementary, secondary, and special educa-tion schools. Pamela is presently expanding this program to additional schools in NorthernCalifornia. Published poet and Poet Teacher for California Poets in the Schools (1978-93).

Libby Colman, Ph.D.: Program Director of San Francisco Court Appointed SpecialAdvocates and co-author of seven books on the psychology of parenting.

Lynn Loar, Ph.D., LCSW: Expert in child abuse assessment and treatment, and amember of the California State Humane Academy faculty, teaching about the inter-relationship of child abuse, elder abuse, domestic violence, and cruelty to animals.

The meaning of animalsin the hearts of childrenas revealed throughartwork and poetryTeacher’s narrative and lesson plans to encouragerespect, responsibility, and compassion.

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Latham Spring 2001.4/01 Article.pdfHumane Education, 1826 Clement Ave., Alameda, California 94501,...

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Transcript of Latham Spring 2001.4/01 Article.pdfHumane Education, 1826 Clement Ave., Alameda, California 94501,...