Every child should be like this child. That is a bold statement and it is unrealistic. The world would be a lot better, however, for animals and therefore for us as well, if every child was like this child.

Jordan Lansing in animal shelter

I am writing about an eight-year-old American girl whose name is Jordan Lansing. For her birthday she decided that she no longer wanted presents. She wanted pet food that she could give away to a local animal shelter. That is special in itself in a modern world where we are familiar with seeing children who have everything, possibly too much too soon, which raises their expectations unrealistically and possibly spoils them.

However, Jordan wants to do the same thing every year until she qualifies as a veterinary surgeon. Obviously, Jordan loves animals and she has made up her mind very early in her life what she wants to do. Is it unusual for someone so young to develop such a deep love for animals? I have to give a lot of credit to her parents. I would like to have a chat with them to find out what they did if anything to bring into the world a child who will contribute to its betterment and you can’t ask more of a child than that.

Jordan forsook her birthday presents so that she could help the animal shelter. The shelter supervisor says that it was a very welcome gift because they are on a tight budget and require donations for food.

I hope that other children take notice of Jordan’s gift and copy it. If more children did this, and had these thoughts, we would be creating a better world for the future because there is no doubt in my mind that the world is becoming more difficult for animals particularly animals living in the wild and that problem needs to be addressed.

In giving up her birthday presents on a permanent basis for the sake of animals, this is a gift to herself, as well, because she wants to help and in helping she will feel better, she will feel useful and she will feel that she is making a difference in her own way. In giving one also gives to oneself.

Do you know a child like Jordan? I’ve always said that parents should spend some of their time encouraging their children to have a high regard for animals and to respect them. It is probably the only way, in the long term, that will save the endangered species, of which there are many, from extinction in the wild.

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