Walter Payton Partners with Safe Humane Chicago

When teaching kids about animal abuse and animal safey it's always smart to have people they respect teach them. Safe Humane partnered with Walter Payton College Prep to do just this as they let older high school kids bring the message of a safer, more humane community to local elementary students in the Chicagoland area.

Nearly a dozen students have gone through Safe Humane training so that they can help elementary kids understand animal safety, discourage animal abuse, and see dogs as friendly citizens rather than scary threats. The Walter Payton leaders visit underserved areas of Chicago to share their experiences and advice.

They really pay attention to the older students,” said Lynda Stein, an adult Safe Humane volunteer. “It’s amazing to watch. Asking questions, telling their own stories, and really interacting.”

Programs typically start with Walter Payton students providing lessons on why dog fighting is bad, how to approach a dog, and how to take care of a dog. Each session concludes with a trained dog handler sharing his or her animal with the class. For many, this was the first interaction they had with a friendly dog.

The Walter Payton teen leaders plan to visit 13 different schools this year, with the program expected to continue to expand. The results can be seen immediately.

“The kids and many of the teachers are often very tentative of the dogs at first,” said National Director, Cynthia Bathurst. “Many of these kids are afraid because they haven’t had that friendly family dog that most of us imagine. But by the time the experience is over, they have the education and experience where they feel completely comfortable interacting with our dogs.”

It's through this interaction that Bathurst hopes will contribute to the reduction of violence in the community, for both animals and people.