Educating children on zoonoses and public health

Between 11 and 13 May 2026, our entire team took part in an educational project dedicated to children from rural communities in Ilfov County. Supported by Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, the initiative brought veterinary medicine directly into schools, with a simple but important objective: to help children better understand what responsible pet ownership really means.

Over three intensive days, we met 926 pupils from 37 classes in 10 schools across Ilfov County. The discussions were adapted to the age of the children, but the central message remained the same: having a pet is not only about companionship. It also comes with responsibility for the animal's health, welfare, and behaviour, as well as responsibility towards the family and the wider community.

For many children, dogs and cats are already part of everyday life. This makes schools an excellent place to introduce basic concepts about animal health. We talked about why pets need regular veterinary care, appropriate nutrition, vaccination, parasite control, identification, and attention to changes in their health or behaviour. These may seem like simple messages, but understanding them early can have a lasting impact on how animals are cared for throughout a person's life.

Parasites and zoonotic diseases were naturally an important part of our discussions. Children learned that some infections and parasites can be transmitted between animals and people, but also that many of these risks can be greatly reduced through relatively simple measures: regular veterinary examinations, vaccination, internal and external parasite control, hand hygiene, and appropriate management of pets.

Rabies offered a particularly relevant example. Although prevention through vaccination is highly effective, the disease remains one of the clearest illustrations of why human health, animal health, and responsible behaviour cannot be separated. Understanding why dogs and cats should be vaccinated, why contact with unknown or wild animals should be avoided, and why an animal bite must always be taken seriously are practical lessons that children can immediately take home to their families.

This is also where the broader One Health concept becomes very real. There is no need to begin with complicated definitions. A healthy animal, a well-informed owner, a safe household, and a healthier community are all connected. Preventing parasites and infectious diseases in pets protects the animals themselves, but it can also reduce risks for people and for other animals around them.

Educational activities of this kind are particularly important in rural communities, where children may have frequent and close contact with dogs, cats, livestock, and occasionally wildlife. At the same time, access to information about preventive veterinary medicine is not always equally distributed. Bringing veterinarians into schools therefore creates an opportunity not only to teach children, but also to allow information to travel further, from the classroom into families and communities.

Perhaps the most encouraging part of these three days was the curiosity of the children. Their questions showed how interested they are in animals and how naturally discussions about pets can open the door towards much wider subjects involving health, biology, responsibility, and our relationship with the animals around us.

We strongly believe that responsible pet ownership starts with education. Teaching children how to care properly for animals is not simply an exercise in veterinary education. It contributes to animal welfare, disease prevention, public health, and ultimately to the development of more responsible communities.

And sometimes, an important change can begin with something as simple as a conversation about the dog or cat waiting for a child at home.