PULLMAN, Wash. — The Washington State University People-Pet Partnership program in the
College of Veterinary Medicine has received more than $56,000 for further development of their popular
kindergarten through sixth grade curriculum.
The grant comes from the Kenneth A. Scott Charitable Trust, a KeyBank Trust. The funds will be
used to revise the guide, “Learning and Living Together: Building the Human Animal Bond.”
The curriculum’s goal is to educate children on proper care for companion animals, including
nutritional needs, grooming and effective training methods. The curriculum also addresses the seriousness of
animal abuse and strives to instill a sense of empathy toward animals and other humans. The PPP
educators predict that teaching responsible pet ownership will result in a decrease in unwanted and abused
animals.
The revisions and further developments funded by the Scott Foundation grant will broaden availability
of the material to middle school and special education students.
A program for middle school-aged children was piloted this summer with the National Youth Sports
Program at WSU during their six weeks on campus. An emphasis was placed on building empathetic skills
and breaking the cycle of violence. The pilot lessons for the special education programs focused on
companion animal care-related work skills. Both revisions will be added to the existing curriculum guide
that is currently available for schools and group homes.
The WSU program is available in English and Japanese, and a French version is in production. It is
sold worldwide to veterinary colleges, educators, shelter workers and others promoting the humane
treatment of animals.
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