Children in Scotland join ‘groundbreaking’ animal welfare scheme
June 2025 was Animal Guardians' busiest month to date, with 27 children taking part.
A charity-run programme has seen a record number of young people join its scheme to tackle animal cruelty.
Animal Guardians, founded by the Scottish SPCA, is an early-intervention scheme which works to prevent cases of cruelty by teaching children compassion around animals.
It works with children aged three to 16, who may have displayed worrying behaviour around animals. The charity uses trauma-informed approaches to teach participants how to have safe and respectful interactions with animals.
The programme has already been praised by educators, social workers and healthcare professionals.
One such case was a four-year-old child, which had been annoying a family dog. This included pulling the dog’s tail, disturbing its sleep and showing aggressive behaviour.
A Scottish SPCA youth engagement officer supported the child, using soft toy animals and structured play to encourage more gentle handling.
At the last session, a parent joined in and saw an improvement in their child’s behaviour. The child no longer disturbed the dog while it was sleeping and used ‘gentle hands’ when interacting with the pet.
In June 2025, Scottish SPCA saw its busiest month since the initiative first launched, with 27 children supported. Throughout 2025, a total of 52 young people have already taken part.
A study, conducted by the University of Edinburgh, found that children participating in the Animal Guardians showed greater improvements than those in a control group. Participants of the Animal Guardians programme showed better animal welfare knowledge, behaviour, and cognitive and behavioural empathy.
The programme is now in place across 90 per cent of Scotland’s authorities, including educational establishments, Scottish SPCA inspectors, and parents and carers.
Susan Witton, a Scottish SPCA youth engagement officer, said: “Animal Guardians is about prevention and protection — for both animals and children. We’re seeing clear evidence that with the right support, young people can learn compassion and emotional control that stays with them for life.”
Scottish SPCA is urging families to engage with animals and wildlife in a respectful manner, with children supervised during any animal interactions.
If you are concerned about a young person’s behaviour towards animals, email animalguardians@scottishspca.org.uk for more information.
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