PETA offers to help schools teach animal kindness after puppy abuse

An animal advocacy group has offered to help educate York County students about the humane treatment of animals after two teens were accused of torturing a puppy by shooting it with a BB gun.

TeachKind, the humane education division of PETA, or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, emailed letters Friday to all York County schools, offering to assist with education, said Nina Kahn, PETA’s assistant manager of youth campaigns.

“By promoting kindness to animals by humane education, schools have a chance to reach kids before they commit an act of violence against any living being,” Kahn said.

Rock Hill police on Tuesday arrested two teenagers, ages 14 and 17, they say tortured a 6-week-old puppy by shooting it 18 times with a BB gun and throwing a knife at it.

The lab mix puppy was taken to Ebenezer Animal Hospital in Rock Hill for treatment and has since recovered and been adopted.

Officials with York County’s four school districts did not respond to an email querry about whether they would take the group up on its offer.

Kahn said TeachKind can work with schools on lesson plans, sending reference materials to be used in classrooms and planning presentations via Skype or meeting with students in person.

“We often reach out to schools after hearing about animal cruelty cases involving youth,” she said. “We really want to stop this ... People who are cruel to animals, studies show, rarely stop at that.”

This story was originally published February 26, 2016 at 9:40 PM with the headline "PETA offers to help schools teach animal kindness after puppy abuse."