Bella Vista third graders recently received a heartwarming lesson in empathy and responsibility when representatives from the Humane Society of Utah visited their classroom, bringing along Luna, a gentle 11-year-old dog adopted from the shelter.

The visit gave students the opportunity to examine how their lives and needs mirror those of animals and how both humans and pets benefit from care, connection and belonging.

“We share the same needs as our pets,” said Isabel Olsen Rodriguez, Humane Society of Utah education coordinator. “We also need water, sleep, shelter, medical care and everything else we've been talking about. And we share the same feelings as pets. Like us, pets can get bored. They even feel lonely when they have no one to spend time with.”

However, she pointed out a key difference: animals rely on people to meet their needs. 

“Do you all think a dog could learn to drive itself to the vet? Of course not,” Olsen Rodriguez said. “That’s why when we invite a pet to be part of our family, it’s our job to make sure we’re caring for them properly.”

She encouraged students to research different animals and breeds before adopting as their needs and behaviors vary.

Huskies, she pointed out, require regular brushing and lots of exercise. 

“If Huskies don’t get enough exercise, they turn into escape artists,” Olsen Rodriguez said. 

Rabbits need a quiet, secure environment and specific diets.

“They can be really easily scared of loud movements or loud noises — and they can have up to 14 babies at one time and they can have babies every month,” she said.

She also touched on the importance of spaying and neutering animals. Last year, the Humane Society of Utah helped more than 6,360 pets find homes. 

“That’s a huge number to think about, just for our one shelter. They all have needs and wants like we do,” she said.

The highlight for many students came when they got to meet Luna and practice how to safely approach a new dog using the acronym “BARK”: Be calm, Ask the owner, Reach out a fist to sniff, and Kind pets. 

“We also never want to put our face right up to a new dog's face, or try to hug them or pick them up,” Olsen Rodriguez said. 

Third-grade teacher Wendie Nielson said the presentation reinforced classroom lessons about traits, habitats and belonging. 

“This connects well with what we’re doing in class in a way they can relate,” she said.

Humane Society Education Manager Haley Kroepfl said their presentations align with common core from kindergarten through 12th grade. 

“We touch on how human language and how people talk about animals and how that impacts how we actually care and interact with them,” she said. “It also ties to how they use language with one another. We also introduce what empathy is. We break it down for how they interact with one another, with empathy, so picking up emotions and body language. We relate that back to our animal friends and how animals might not tell us in language they're feeling sad or unhappy, but they do still let us know, so it's important to pay attention to treat them with kindness, and sometimes we even touch on how animals express empathy too.”

Third-grader Quinn Lewis made the connection. She helps care for her goldendoodle, Archie.

“You need to take care of them and meet all their needs, otherwise they can get sick really quick,” she said. “They want love and things we do.”

The Humane Society of Utah offers youth involvement opportunities, which are listed on their website, www.utahhumane.org.

Olsen Rodriguez wants experiences like this leave lasting impressions. 

“Empathy for animals creates empathy towards people,” she said. “We want kids to understand the responsibility of pet ownership, but also to develop compassion that extends beyond animals.”