Big Hearts, Gentle Lessons – Vance and Venzia Pereira

Vance Pereira, 14, and his younger sister Venzia, 11, students of Mae dos Pobres High School, Goa chose kindness over convenience when they adopted a stray puppy from their local vegetable market. Instead of buying a pet, the siblings decided to give a homeless animal a safe and loving home-sending out a gentle but powerful message: do not buy pets when so many are waiting to be adopted.

Their mother Jasmine shares that since the adoption, both children have. become noticeably more responsible. Caring for another life has brought small but meaningful changes-feeding on time, going for walks, cleaning up. and being attentive to someone else’s needs. “Looking after an animal has made them more caring and disciplined,” she says, adding that the experience has helped them understand commitment in a very real way.

Street dogs are often misunderstood, yet they are sturdy, intelligent, and full of happiness. By adopting from the road, the children not only gained a loyal companion but also gave a dog the right to live with dignity, instead of being abandoned or left to survive in busy markets where many puppies and kittens. are often dumped.

This simple act of adoption shows how caring for animals can quietly shape kinder children. Teaching children to look after another life is one of the most powerful ways to nurture empathy, responsibility, and compassion-lessons that stay with them long after childhood.