WDA Advances Integration of Animal Protection Education into Textbooks in Taiwan: 364 Student Submissions in Award

Reporter: Lorraine Lu, World Dog Alliance

In recent years, the World Dog Alliance (WDA) has actively championed the integration of animal protection education into school textbooks. Partnering closely with the Life Conservationist Association (LCA), the WDA aims to instill the principles of respecting life and cherishing animals directly within campus curricula. On October 17, the award ceremony for the "2026 5th Animal Caring Literary Award" was officially held. This year's competition received a total of 364 submissions. Following rigorous preliminary and secondary evaluations, outstanding essays across elementary, junior high, and senior/vocational high school divisions were selected. Taking textbook readings as their creative starting point, this essay contest illuminated how classroom literature inspires the younger generation to reflect deeply on animal welfare and the intrinsic value of life.

The World Dog Alliance has long been dedicated to the welfare of companion animals such as dogs and cats. Over the past two years in Taiwan, the WDA has escalated its efforts to embed animal protection concepts into formal educational materials. Through joint initiatives with the Life Conservationist Association, representatives visited multiple mainstream textbook publishers and engaged in constructive dialogue with the National Academy for Educational Research—the official authority responsible for textbook review and accreditation—seeking to ensure that empathy and reverence for life take root from early childhood.

This year’s Animal Caring Literary Award offered an ideal window to assess the tangible impact of these educational efforts. The organizers invited students to select textbook passages touching on animals, life, and nature, blending these texts with their personal observations and real-life experiences to articulate their insights.

Statistics regarding textbook selections revealed that 120 submissions drew inspiration from Kang Hsuan editions, 108 from Han Lin, and 61 from Nan I—collectively totaling 289 entries, or nearly 80% of all submissions. In particular, textbook lessons such as "Farewell, Caesar", "The Little Girl", "Cat's Paradise", "The Leopard Cat Is Our Totoro", and "Confessions of a Leopard Cat" served as prime catalysts for students to examine the plight of animals and explore the value of sentient life.

These figures illustrate that a literary text infused with humane education serves far beyond language instruction; it molds students' perceptions of the human-animal relationship. A distinguished panel of 12 judges presided over the evaluations, bringing together literary professors, frontline educators, and leading experts across five core animal domains: companion animals, agricultural/farmed animals, wild animals, laboratory animals, and exhibition animals.

The grading rubric comprised "Prose Originality" (20%), "Literary Elegance" (20%), "Logical Coherence" (20%), and the heavily weighted "Inspirational Value" (40%). This evaluation framework underscored that the literary award prioritized profound empathy over mere prose craftsmanship, encouraging students to derive a genuine understanding of animal conditions and reflect on life respect, responsible ownership, and animal welfare. With numerous submissions demonstrating exceptional quality, the judges evaluated entries through multi-disciplinary lenses to synthesize literary expression, ideological depth, and lived experience.

In the Elementary School Division, the first-place prize was awarded to Chang Chiao-hsin from New Taipei Municipal Jishui Elementary School for "A Lifelong Promise". Chronicling her journey of caring for stray cats, the essay captured a child’s maturation from simply liking animals to embracing long-term caregiving responsibilities.

In the Junior High School Division, Lin Yin-hsi of Taichung Municipal Fengnan Junior High School claimed top honors with "My 'Baozi' Is More Than Just a Snack". Centered on daily anecdotes with her pet rabbit "Baozi," the author moved from joyful companionship to thoughtful contemplation on providing care as an animal ages or falls ill, ensuring that a "lifelong commitment" remains an actionable promise rather than an empty slogan.

In the Senior and Vocational High School Division, the top award went to Chang Hsin-yun from National Pingbei Senior High School for "The Desolation Beyond the Lens: Reading 'Farewell, Caesar' as an Urban Allegory on the Passing of Life". Her essay broadened literary critique into an incisive examination of stray dogs in modern society, prompting deep reflections on human consumer culture, the commodification of living beings, and animal ethics.

All three first-prize winners were invited to recite their works live on stage. The other winning entries likewise demonstrated diverse perspectives—spanning pet abandonment, shelter management, and adoption, to wildlife conservation and the profound emotional bonds between humans and animals—vividly reflecting how students across different age brackets engage with animal welfare issues.

The World Dog Alliance firmly believes that the true mission of animal protection education is not merely teaching students to "be kind to animals," but empowering them to recognize that animals possess their own needs and feelings, and to understand the profound consequences human actions exert on other living beings. The WDA looks forward to leveraging this ongoing initiative to systematically advance animal protection education in national textbooks, guiding more young learners to discover life through literature and translate empathy and respect into everyday habits.

Captions:

• The 2026 Animal Caring Literary Award, themed around textbook literature, was held on October 17, with guest presenters including senior officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment.

  
  

• The World Dog Alliance's signature double-sided eco-friendly bags were presented as commemorative prizes to the winning students.

  
  

• The award certificates, co-signed by the supervising authority (Ministry of Agriculture) and the organizers, were received with immense pride and appreciation by the winning students, their families, and teachers.