Animal Kingdom Foundation
   
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In Your Life
In the Life of Your Pet
In Your Family
In Your Community
Adoption as an Option
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For Pet Owners, Families & the Community


In Your Family

The Animal Kingdom Foundation of Compassion, Care, and Concern recognizes that a family with a pet is a family that has chosen challenge over the “easy path”, chaos at times over the comfort of the absence or reduction of chaos, adventure over boredom.

We believe in the core values that motivate people to care for pets, and in the lessons learned that will last a lifetime for those who were privileged to grow up in homes where pets were properly cared for and loved.  It’s no accident that statistically, people who grew up with pets in their family of origin, are more often than not, likely to chose to have and care for pets in the family they themselves create as adults.

The Animal Kingdom Foundation of Compassion, Care, and Concern was founded specifically to support such families, especially those pet owners who become frail, elderly or disabled, but still wish to provide excellent care for their pets.

Teach your children about the responsibility of caring for a pet, but teach them also the joy of giving love in the form of service to pet who can neither physically or monetarily repay their kindness.  The investment of these lessons will pay handsome dividends in the future.

There is an old joke that says we should be kind to our children, because they will eventually choose our nursing home.  While this is certainly humorous on one level, it actually rings with great truth on another.

Perhaps you are familiar with the poem, Children Learn What They Live, by Dorothy Law Nolte. AKFCCC believes that there is no greater lesson we can give our children or the members of our extended family, the Family of Man, than the lesson that love is a verb not a feeling.  We also believe that what the world needs now is love, sweet love.  We chose to refer to the process of providing it as, “nurturing and mentoring compassion, care and concern.”

We know we’re not fooling anyone.  You know what we mean is simply love in all of its many forms.

So teach love to your children by showing them the proper way to care for pets.  Be an educated parent and pet owner.  As Stephen Covey, author of the bestselling books, The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and First Things First suggests, Live, Love, Learn and Leave a Legacy.

Here’s the full text of Dorothy Law Nolte’s poem about children and learning.  Try substituting the word child for pet and see if it still holds true.  Then ask yourself, how is your family doing?  Is it time to turn off the television and open a book or share some more time together just enjoying one another? 

Children Learn What They Live
By Dorothy Law Nolte

If a child lives with criticism,  he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,  he learns to fight.
If a child lives with fear,  he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with pity,  he learns to feel sorry for himself.
If a child lives with ridicule,  he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with jealousy,  he learns what envy is.
If a child lives with shame,  he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with encouragement,  he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with tolerance,  he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with praise,  he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance,  he learns to love.
If a child lives with approval,  he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with recognition,  he learns that it is good to have a goal.
If a child lives with sharing,  he learns about generosity.
If a child lives with honesty and fairness,  he learns what truth and justice are.
If a child lives with security,  he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.
If a child lives with friendliness,  he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.
If you live with serenity,  your child will live with peace of mind.

 

Animal Kingdom Foundation of Compassion, Care, and Concern
100 Elden Street Suite 11, Herndon, VA 20170

Cherrydale Veterinary Clinic