ABSTRACT
This chapter explores bringing animals into classrooms is a popular way to teach students responsibility and empathy, engage and motivate them, and help them excel academically by providing a non-judgmental, supportive, and relaxing learning environment. Published activities and research findings almost exclusively focus on the real or perceived benefits to humans associated with such practices. It focuses on 'standard' classroom settings as opposed to more unique learning environments like residential care facilities, where someone is likely to be available to provide care and oversight around the clock. The chapter also focuses on the benefits or potential risks to the animals involved, despite real animal welfare concerns associated with maintaining an animal in a classroom full time. A popular choice for many classrooms is the 'pocket pet', which refers to small domesticated rodents, such as guinea pigs, rats, mice, gerbils, and hamsters.
