Teachers can now teach children to treat animals and nature with compassion and responsibility through a certified program from UAnimals. The organization believes that animal education is key to eradicating cruelty in the future. The "Compassionate Education and Volunteering" project has received official approval from the Ukrainian Institute for Educational Development under the Ministry of Education and Science.
This was reported by the animal welfare organization UAnimals, which created the educational program in collaboration with Suziria Group.
Preventing сruelty
UAnimals emphasizes that to reduce instances of cruelty toward animals, one must first address its root cause.
Animal rights activists cite data from a joint study with Fama, which confirmed Ukrainians’ rather utilitarian attitude toward their pets. Analysis of the survey showed that 92% of Ukrainians consider their pets to be family members. However, about 50% of respondents still want them to be useful—to entertain or guard.
According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, the number of cases involving animal cruelty as of 2025 is shocking—it has increased nearly fourfold.
Details of zoohumanistic lessons
The educational program "Humane Education and Volunteering" offers 14 lessons for elementary and middle school students. Animal rights advocates affirm that these lessons will help children understand the needs of animals and their body language, as well as recognize their own responsibility for the life and health of a pet. At the core of these lessons is training children to see the connections between human actions, animal welfare, and the overall environmental state of the Earth.
Methodologically, the program is designed comprehensively and does not require additional teacher preparation. It includes both ready-made tasks and complete methodological recommendations.
Even before official approval, the animal welfare educational program was already being used in Ukrainian schools. According to UAnimals, since last year more than 80 teachers have delivered 250 such lessons to 3,800 children. Over 650 educators have received relevant training and certificates.
“We want to see a humane Ukraine. We dream that the new generation will not tolerate cruelty, will stand up for the vulnerable, and will perceive everyone in the world as part of a single interconnected system,” emphasized Olha Matsko, head of the Strategic Initiatives Department at UAnimals.
It should be recalled that in Ukraine, work on draft law No. 11328, which aims to protect domestic animals, is ongoing. EcoPolitic previously detailed its provisions, including a ban on “aesthetic” surgery and interference with the feeding of stray animals.
