ANAA education

Developing emotional intelligence through the human-animal bond

Welcome!

They taught us how to overcome prejudice and guilt. They encouraged us to ask questions and foster critical thinking. We were able to say: “during this time together, there is no such thing as good or bad. All emotions and opinions are legitimate and will have their place”. That was the beginning.

We educated ourselves. We learned to foster social skills and emotional intelligence. We provided high school students with an anti-bullying toolkit without even mentioning the word “bullying”. We warned them about the consequences of poor anger management skills; we discussed human rights and dignity, among other topics. With animals at the center of the conversation, they felt comfortable enough to express themselves, debate about what they thought was the main cause of the problem and share their will to change what they considered unfair.

ANAA education was born in 2006 as a team of volunteers whose main purpose was to spread awareness about important animal welfare issues. At first, we thought that would be it, that our mission would end there. Little did we imagine that it would be them, the voiceless, who would start the change.

With every activity that we organized, at a primary or high school, we became more aware of the powerful bond that children and animals share. Some teachers approached us, once the activities were over, to let us know how surprised they were to find out new skills in their students. Recess didn’t matter anymore; they wanted us to stay. Students asked about different ways to help out, and they were particularly interested in learning more about our animals’ stories; the happy endings seemed to give them hope.

School Visits

As teachers, we strongly believe that field trips hold immense educational value. Not only do they foster social development and improve the students’ observation and perception skills, but also allow them to learn outside of the classroom, in a much more stimulating environment. And they are fun!  



ANAA offers a real-world, hands on experience based on animal care and welfare issues. Students will have the opportunity to see first-hand how an animal shelter works; they’ll learn about the stories of some of the animals in our care, and how they behave and communicate with one another. These stories about neglect and abandonment, and also our happy endings, will help them empathize and connect with their own emotions. 

These are some of the goals of the visit:

  • Promoting responsible pet ownership.
  • Raising awareness about animal neglect and abandonment in our country.
  • Learning about the important work of animal welfare organizations such as ANAA.
  • Empathizing with animals at the shelter and learning about some of our happy endings.

The visit is divided into two parts:

  • An educational workshop at our training room.
  • A visit to the shelter facilities.

*All activities will be adapted to meet the needs of each specific groups.

ANAA’s facilities are located in Valdetorres de Jarama, Madrid. To book a visit, send us an email to educacion@anaaweb.org You’ll receive a map and directions on how to get there.​educacion@anaaweb.org


Testimonials from some of our visitors

“Many students from Parque School are very thankful to ANAA for showing them during their workshop how to respect and look after animals. 
Children fondly remember the Vietnamese pigs, and how they prepared their meals and fed them. 

They were surprised at how clever they were! They were also very happy to learn that ANAA provides such good care for so many homeless pets.

Thank you for teaching young people to love, care for and respect all animals."

“Last Saturday we got the chance to visit ANAA with our Águila Scout Group. We wanted these kids to learn about the responsibilities that come with owning a dog or a cat, and ANAA helped us to deliver the message. They made them think about what it means to adopt a pet: money, time requirement, commitment, veterinary care, etc. 

We spent some time petting some of the animals in their care: dogs, cats and Vietnamese pigs (we even got the chance to fee them!). We are very thankful to the volunteers for being so patient and helpful. We were really happy to find there are many good people who dedicate their time to helping homeless animals. Thank you very much!”