A survey conducted by The Pet Care Trust has found that 99% of 2,100 participating teachers said having a pet in their classroom was a positive experience for students.
The poll quizzed teachers across the United States and Canada who received Pet Care Trust funding to support the organization’s Pets in the Classroom program.
Among other key findings:
- Attendance: 80% reported improved student attendance.
- Anxiety: 95% said students were less anxious.
- Empathy and compassion: 98% said caring for a classroom pet increased student empathy and compassion.
- Academics: 79% reported that students improved their test and academic performance after exposure to a classroom pet.
- Responsibility: 98% said students showed better responsibility.
- Self-esteem: 93% reported improved student self-esteem.
- Social skills: 96% saw heightened student social skills.
- Engagement: 98% noted enhanced student engagement.
- Discipline: 87% had reduced need for student disciplinary measures.
Teacher comments included:
- “I have many students who greatly struggle with anxiety and emotional regulation. [Having and holding pets allows] them to step outside of the situation and care for the pet in a way that helps them to settle and regulate their emotions.”
- “Students are motivated to engage with the classroom pet, which has enhanced class participation and test scores.”
- “Having a classroom pet has helped with our classroom management and the children’s sense of responsibility.”
- “I have several students who are not social and struggle with interacting with others. My classroom pet allows these students to show responsibility, engage with others and feel a sense of community when tasked with caring and supervising the classroom pet.”
The Pet Care Trust will accept grant applications for the 2024-25 school year at petsintheclassroom.org beginning Aug. 1.