The Case Study of Animal Welfare and its Education in the schools of Taiwan

[[abstract]]This study is intended to understand reasons and conditions for rearing school dogs, the related animal welfare condition, and education and learning contents of rearing school dogs at junior high and elementary schools in the hope to offer feasible suggestions to schools and rearers. This is a multi-case qualitative study set in three stages. The first stage is the pilot study made between April and May of 2006. Survey was made at schools participating in Taipei City Campus Guardian Dog Program through telephone interviews. In depth interviews with faculties of three schools were made after consent. The second stage is case study made between June and November of 2006 with interviews and participation in observation at three schools. The third stage is focus group interviews made on December 14, 2007 on six interviewees. There are two sources for the six schools selected for this study: four schools participating in Taipei City Campus Guardian Dog Program in the past and two schools from animal website. Qualitative information resources include faculties, in-depth interviews with students, observation participation record, related literatures and personal notes, which are studied through analysis. The findings show that school dogs are mainly stray dogs at schools. Composition factors include rearers in charge, budget, locations of schools, and dog characteristics. Teachers in charge of rearing are the key to whether school can keep dogs for a long time. Interviewed schools take good care of school dogs, although there are potential animal welfare problems. Attitudes and feelings toward the dogs as well as interaction between students and school dogs are affected by relevant factors. Schools where teachers instruct students to take care of school dogs have high interaction frequency between students and school dogs with distinctive care for dogs. The research findings show school dogs provide students with potential learning implication. Most of interviewees believe rearing school dogs provide good life education, although in fact few teachers use school dogs in their teaching materials. The main school education content is to interact with school dogs. Overall, what is most needed is the school support system. Reasons for objection by school members are the concern in security and sanitation. Good rearing management, appropriate education strategies and school support system are the factors to help increase teachers and students’ acceptance of school dogs in order to sustain school dog policies.