Animal Rahat uses PETA India’s Compassionate Citizen program to teach students to be kind to animals, and the girls in the photo below are signing the kindness pledge, a part of each presentation, which the schools can keep and display. Children truly take this pledge to heart, as illustrated by the stories of two marvelous young boys, Tejas and Mandar.

Tejas’ family kept three turtles as “pets” after catching them in a nearby river. He told Animal Rahat that after attending the Compassionate Citizen workshop at his school, he realized that the animals weren’t happy in captivity and released them back into the river. He also persuaded his family to allow him to take their buffaloes to graze without nose ropes or hobbling devices—a huge change for them.

Mandar told Animal Rahat that Compassionate Citizen inspired him to persuade his uncle to release two turtles he had captured and that he’s encouraging his family to switch to mukta gotha (cattle housing that allows for freedom of movement) instead of keeping their cows and bulls tethered all the time. It’s wonderful to see the effect that the program is having!