Both sister organisations in Kalimpong and Darjeeling impart humane education to students from time to time. Kalimpong and Darjeeling Goodwill Animal Shelter encourage students through humane education to be kind and compassionate towards all animals. We teach young students/children the basic rules on how to treat a cat/dog, do’s and don’ts about dog bite wounds, dealing with aggressive dogs, loving animals and the importance of them in our lives.
As Mahatma Gandhi says,” The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Thus, it is of utmost importance to educate the youth about animal cruelty. Animals are friends after all, and they deserve to live a friendly and peaceful life, thus creating an animal and human-friendly environment. Regrettably the Shelters have to deal with a few cases where dogs have been beaten/ tortured or burnt with hot boiling water. So, it is only through awareness and humane education that the public and locals can learn and accept change. Dr. Mihir Mazagonkar, the vet at Darjeeling Goodwill Animal Shelter spoke at Loreto College in Darjeeling to talk to concerned students about safety measures when encountering a dog bite, petting a dog, socializing with a cat/dog, and about kindness through a PowerPoint presentation. The students were enthralled to be part of the programme and to know about simple tips on handling domesticated animals.
Kalimpong Animal Shelter also had two groups of foreign students who visited the Shelter with Anu Radha, a social worker/ animal lover for a tour. It was a great opportunity to interact with them and share our knowledge and also impart humane education to them.