On this page we shall post education materials/videos that can be used in a variety of situations e.g. State/Faith schools/colleges; Church ‘Joy Clubs’; Sunday Schools or in some cases, as support in Catechism classes and adult programmes. There are more detailed examinations/articles on specific subjects such as the animal testing model, for individual study.
Materials that are deemed suitable for a variety of ages, will be taken from expert organisations’ on-line material, together with some of our own material as they are produced. Some, though intended for an Orthodox audience, can certainly be used by non-Orthodox and vice-versa.
Please also look on animal organisations’ websites such as the RSPCA and IFAW for excellent material on care for pets, neutering etc.
Please also see our video page which has material for educational use both in the classroom and in the parish.
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Our Creation Care: Christian Responsibility course can be found on a separate page on this website.
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An excellent video in the Be the Bee series, with H.A.H. Bartholomew and Fr. John Chryssavgis, explaining why Christians must care the all created beings and the environment in which they live.
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This is an excellent video by His Eminence, Metropolitan Kallistos of Diokleia, giving an overview of the place of animals in the Orthodox Church and our duty as Icon of Christ, to protect them.
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For those wishing to access material within a religious context see the goarch.org website for books/programs for different ages e.g. https://www.goarch.org/-/raising-kids-who-ca-1
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Below is a good resource for English early years State/Faith schools; Joy/Sunday schools and as a visual aid for discussing the idea of dominion as compassionate care for God’s creation. This short video and accompanying material is from Animal Aid and can be ordered free from: https://animalkind.org.uk/basket/?add-to-cart=337.
This group also have educational material for other contemporary animal suffering issues that are suitable for different age ranges.
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Website database of cruelty free products
Search for Cruelty-Free Companies, Products, and More | PETA
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Materials relating to Christianity and Science can be found at the Faraday Institute (churches):
Cathy Priest | Faraday (cam.ac.uk)
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Free online material from the Humane Trust in South Africa, see the links below for free materials:
https://caringclassrooms.co.za/product/lesson-plan-grade-r-term-2-autumn/
This is a free poster from our friends in Africa. It can be used with all ages. To accompany the 5 Freedoms poster you could use an excellent RSPCA on-line interactive game on the 5 needs, see: http://www.rspca-education.org.uk/the-five-needs
If anyone would like a higher res version of this poster to adapt as your own, please let us know by sending an email to Louise at avoice@yebo.co.za. (In pdf or JPG format, you can make your own changes, but this office is happy to make the necessary changes for you if you wish). We are using this poster with much success in the building of empathy in our learners.
Kind regards,
The Animal Voice Team
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Семинар “Забота о творении” – YouTube
Bible and creation care – Bookless lecture in English and Russian
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NEUTERING:
Why should I have my pet desexed? – RSPCA Knowledgebase
Why does the RSPCA advocate desexing cats before puberty? – RSPCA Knowledgebase
RESPONSIBLE COMPANION-ANIMAL OWNERSHIP
STERILIZATION OF COMPANION ANIMALS
Here is an illustration of the number of dogs/cats which can be produced from just ONE UNSTERILIZED MALE AND FEMALE.*
1 Male + 1 Female + 6 puppies/ kittens = TOTAL: 8 Animals 4 are females, 4 are males (this includes the parents)
After 6 months each female has 6 puppies/kittens = TOTAL: 32 Animals 16 are females and 16 are males
After 6 months each female has 6 puppies/kittens = TOTAL: 128 Animals
In 3 years, 2 animals have the potential to produce: TOTAL 32,768 Animals
In many countries, many of these dogs and cats are unwanted and abondoned to life on the streets. Most will die through accidents, illnesses, poisoning, still births, malnutrition and other forms of avoidable cruelty and neglect.
This is why Pan Orthodox Concern for Animals applaud owners who neuter their companion animsls, for their responsible and practical decision.
IMPORTANT FACTS
- It is NOT necessary for a female to have a litter prior to sterilization.
- They CAN become pregnant from as young as 6 months of age.
- It is irresponsible to keep producing litters of puppies.
- There are FAR TOO MANY puppies/kittens, and FAR TOO FEW good homes.
- Think carefully before acquiring a puppy/kitten. Being a responsible owner requires hard work, dedication and commitment.
- Do not give an animal as a present.
- Unsterilized male dogs/cats wander, cause fights, road accidents and disturb the peace, when a female is ‘in season’.
- If you can no longer keep your dog or cat, contact your local SPCA or animal shelter. They will find good quality homes for your companion animals.
PLEASE BE RESPONSIBLE OWNERS
STERILIZE ALL YOUR MALE AND FEMALE DOGS AND CATS.
*Numbers are based on the following assumptions:
- An average litter consists of 6 puppies
- A female has 2 litters per year
- Each litter consists of 3 females and 3 males
- None of the males or females is sterilized
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For those of you wishing to find good educational material for Greek speaking students on a variety of animal issues/responsible care, see: http://www.pfpo.gr/ and http://www.crete4animals.gr/
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Below is a video ‘Compassion for Animals in the Orthodox Church.’ by one of our Patrons, Met. Kallistos of Diokleia. It is suitable for use with older students and youth groups. It can be used for discussions on religious studies, the role of the church in contemporary issues, icons, eco-theology, ethics and for general discussions on the environment. It was the opening paper at our session on the Theological Perspectives of Animal Suffering at the IOTA conference in Iasi, Romania in 2019.
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Below is another video of a presentation at the IOTA conference in Iasi, 2019 entitled: ‘Climate Change, Dietary Choices and Animal Suffering’ by one of our founder members and editor, Dr Christina Nellist (19mins). It is suitable for use with older students and youth groups. It can be used for discussions in religious studies, the role of the church in contemporary issues, eco-theology, ethics/animal ethics and for general discussions on climate change and the environment. It was the second paper at our session on the Theological Perspectives of Animal Suffering at the IOTA conference.
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For older groups and those interested in the psychological aspect of harm to animals:
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Pan Orthodox Concern for Animals is a partner with the Christian Ethics of Farmed Animal Welfare research project, initiated by Prof Clough. In this short video he explains the problems and the potential solutions we face in our choice of diet
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Below is a video for older students/youth groups from the ‘Be the Bee’ series by Ancient Faith Radio. This can be used to encourage our students to live lives that Image the life of Christ and His saints.
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As an ex Head of Science I know that questions over the use of animals in experiments is a subject of interest to many students. Chapter 9 of my book on animal suffering explores this subject after having researched over 200 scientific reports/article/monologues and includes some of the authors in the following book. The open-access book below is not intended for students but for teachers of students in 6th Form Colleges/Universities. It is available free to download through Open Access at: https://brill.com/view/title/35072?rskey=sTmvkF&result=1
Animal Experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change
Series:Human-Animal Studies, Volume: 22
Editors: Kathrin Herrmann and Kimberley Jayne
Animal experimentation has been one of the most controversial areas of animal use, mainly due to the intentional harms inflicted upon animals for the sake of hoped-for benefits in humans. Despite this rationale for continued animal experimentation, shortcomings of this practice have become increasingly more apparent and well-documented. However, these limitations are not yet widely known or appreciated, and there is a danger that they may simply be ignored. The 51 experts who have contributed to Animal Experimentation: Working Towards a Paradigm Change critically review current animal use in science, present new and innovative non-animal approaches to address urgent scientific questions, and offer a roadmap towards an animal-free world of science.
E-Book Availability: Published ISBN: 978-90-04-39119-2 Publication Date: 30 Apr 2019 Hardback Availability: Published ISBN: 978-90-04-35618-4 Publication Date: 04 Apr 2019
For those wishing to explore further scientific reports on the animal experimentation model, see the following links: https://www.crueltyfreeinternational.org/download-our-science-publications-0
Menache Comment_MasterComment.qxd (antidote-europe.eu)
Animal models in an age of personalized medicine – PubMed (nih.gov)
Systematic reviews of animal models: methodology versus epistemology – PubMed (nih.gov)
Des chercheurs ou médecins qui disent non à l’expérimentation animale! (antidote-europe.eu) (in English)
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This is the link for Vol 16 Issue 1 (2016) of Praxis magazine which focuses on Parish as Educator. https://www.goarch.org/en/-/praxis-2016-volume-16-issue-1-parish-as-educator
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