Humane Education program brings new dimension to HSHV
Tuesday, July 12, 2011

New program focuses on local children

HSHV welcomes Karen Patterson, who is launching our first Humane Education department. Humane Education is a new and growing field focused on cultivating compassion and respect toward all living beings. It provides adults and youth with the knowledge and tools needed to make choices that foster a humane life for all.

Karen will be scheduling community and school presentations and work with teachers on including humane education materials in their classroom curriculum. Regularly scheduled activities will take place at HSHV including tours, summer camps and the opportunity to host a birthday party in our facility.

Studies have shown the importance of empathy development in individuals, and humane education is an effective means to do that. It is well-documented that early abusers of animals often go on to engage in violence and other antisocial acts. Educators are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of humane education in developing empathy in children at an early age and its long-term effect on becoming a caring, responsible citizen.

"Youth are our key to a humane and compassionate future for our animals," says Karen. "By educating the youth in our community, we are guiding them to make humane choices towards all living beings and giving them the knowledge to pass their values onto future family members and children."

Karen received her Master’s degree in Humane Education from Michigan State University. She worked as a public school teacher for 10 years before coming to HSHV. She and her husband, Bobby, have two dogs (Lucky & Charm) and two cats (Sammy and Milo) in their pack.