Teacher attempts to instill love for animals in students

ANKARA 

A teacher in the capital Ankara strives to instill a love for animals in students who inflict violence on stray dogs with a social awareness project she initiated.

Physical education teacher Pelin Ömerca started a social awareness project to instill love and compassion towards animals in children at her school when she saw that students were tying ropes around the stray dogs’ necks and kicking them.

Ömerca created a shelter-like living space for stray dogs in the school courtyard and managed to grab the attention of students by feeding those dogs and petting them.

Over time, the teacher helped students overcome their fear of dogs, and they started taking care of them as well.

As students bonded with dogs, they even started to share their meals with them.

Ömerca stated that she was very surprised when she first came to the school and witnessed the insensible violence against the strays.

“Over time, after seeing my approach to animals, their perspective changed. When I brought something from home for the dogs, they started to do the same. Now they all love them very much,” she said.

The dogs now accompany the children to and from school. Ömerca distributes tasks among her students, such as feeding and giving water to the dogs.

Ömerca stated that the parents were also very pleased with the incredible change in their children’s behaviors.

Feda Şamil Özbaş, the school principal, said that at first, they were worried that children might get attacked by the strays, but over time they realized that when no harm is done to the animals, they do not hurt anyone either.