Kids-n-Pets MISSION

Kids-n-Pets’ (KNP) philosophy is founded on the idea that permanent life lessons—of compassion or violence—begin at a young age.  Often, a lack of positive experiences with people and animals, contribute to future acts of violence.  Importantly, these violent acts typically begin with animals.   KNP is devoted to engaging children in positive, educational experiences with animals in an effort to promote positive life skills that will persist through adulthood.  This is an essential step to combating society’s current struggle with increasing violence and crime.

Among the most violent criminal offenders, no fewer than a quarter committed acts of animal abuse before segueing to humans (Petrovoski, 1997).  Childhood violence toward animals, and pets in particular, has been proven to be a precursor to future acts of violence.  Alarmingly, the following percentages of violent criminals abused animals as children:

• 30% of convicted child molesters
• 36% of those who assaulted women
• 46% of those convicted of sexual homicide

Even children not actively taught lessons of violence in their homes and communities might still learn them elsewhere.  Based on this, KNP has developed hands-on educational programs designed to impact children, resulting in positive self-awareness and healthy personal relationships, now through adulthood.  KNP believes that the foundational problems addressed through its educational programs transcend cultural and economic conditions, reaching children typically categorized as “at risk.”

Our Vision

Kids-n-Pets is an organization committed to teaching positive life skills to children through their relationships with animals. The three components of Kids-Pets are: The After School educational Program, Animal Afternoons, and The Reading Room. Through these programs, we have changed the lives of hundreds of Los Angeles youth through our programming.