In Good Hands: Building Compassion for Pets in East Bay Classrooms and Beyond

Young people enjoying outdoor activities and learning about our duty to care for other living beings. photos: EBSPCA

"Who can tell me what it means to be compassionate?”  In a sea of second-grade students, hands fly up. 

“It’s when you have a friend and you ask them how they are.” 

“Being friendly!” 

“Caring when someone is sad.” 

On a Tuesday morning this past February, students set aside their usual routines to welcome two special guests: Heather Franco from East Bay SPCA and Elsa, a petite, white-and-tan dog with bouncy charm and expressive eyebrows. What followed was not just a lesson, but a moment of connection between young minds and a pet still looking for a home. 

Every February, the East Bay SPCA’s Humane Education Department delivers a Valentine’s Day experience for kids through Smooches for Pooches, an interactive program designed to build vocabulary around compassion, encourage responsible pet care, and shed light on the experiences of animals in shelters. During Heather and Elsa’s visit to Havens Elementary, students prepared skits on animal care, created valentines for available cats and dogs, and took turns greeting Elsa, carefully applying what they’d learned about animal body language and consent. 

Empathy Outward

Elsa, like so many of the animals who work with the Humane Education team, is more than a teaching aide — she’s a bridge.  For some children, this is their very first time interacting with a dog. For others, it's a chance to talk about their own pets, past or present. But for all of them, it’s a moment of human-animal connection that stretches far beyond the lesson plan. 

“We want students to see animals as individuals with needs, personalities, and feelings,” says Heather, East Bay SPCA’s Humane Education Manager. “When children can meet animals like Elsa and understand their stories, they’re more likely to grow into compassionate community members.” 

That philosophy is present across all of East Bay SPCA’s education programs, whether in a classroom or at its Oakland and Dublin campuses. Trained educators create a safe space for people to experience the joys of animal companionship and care and guide participants through complex ideas — like the challenges of long shelter stays or the concept of animal consent. Through crafts, presentations, and animal interactions, students aren’t just learning facts, they’re practicing empathy. 

Accessibility is at the forefront of these efforts, with scholarships available for camps and volunteer programs, and presentations and workshops geared towards youth, adults, and the developmentally disabled. Just as everyone deserves to experience the human-animal bond, the East Bay SPCA believes thoughtful, humane education benefits all.  

Hands-on Advocacy 

On a summer afternoon in Dublin, grade school-aged campers can be found in the  community classroom, crafting colorful cardboard houses for in-care cats to enjoy. Meanwhile, in Oakland, teens wash and sort laundry so that recent arrivals to the shelter are welcomed with comfortable, clean bedding. 

High school students contribute service hours through the Rover Recruits program, which combines shelter tasks (like laundry and animal enrichment) with other learning opportunities. Meanwhile, students in the younger Calico Crew are immersed in experiential education, animal-centric crafts, and dog and cat interaction. Both of the Shelter Scouts programs - Calico Crew (ages 8–11) and Rover Recruits (ages 12–17) -  enrich the lives of animals while offering participants an expanded perspective on the importance of shelters. In addition, spring, summer, and holiday School Break Camps blend the joy of a day camp with immersive experiences, exploring topics like pet behavior, dog training, veterinary care, and animal advocacy. 

A Brighter, Kinder Future 

At the end of their hour-long visit with Havens Elementary students, Heather and Elsa accept a heartfelt donation from the class, which had fundraised for a week in advance of the visit. The students happily ignore the lunch bell, eager to tell Heather their own animal stories — and get in one more belly rub for little Elsa. 

If this is the future of animal advocacy, we’re in good hands.