Caminito de colores. Cuento ilistrado para niños de 8 a 14 años como tratamiento para la pérdida natural de una mascota

Abstract

Animals have played an important role in human life, first providing skins, bones and serving as food, then used as pets for protection and company, others as means of transportation; in religion and mythology some animals were considered sacred creatures attributing to them meanings and mystical powers; as science advanced animals were used as experiments to understand biology and for the development of medical and aesthetic treatments; with the growth of tourism around the world animals began to be used for attraction and entertainment, and finally a few animals became domestic giving them a greater consideration of well-being and quality of life. With the above-mentioned background and positioning ourselves in a current context, the present work seeks to analyze how the loss of a beloved animal influences the human life in an emotional and psychological way, taking into account factors such as speciesism (discrimination against other species) and anthropocentrism (man seen as the center of everything, where therefore he subordinates other species) that have led to the exploitation and use of animals, categorizing them through their beneficial use for humans, whether in entertainment, consumption, transportation, etc. Other aspects such as posthumanism, which is a counterpoint to anthropocentrism, emerges as a current of thought that seeks an ethical treatment towards other species, promoting an equitable vision between human beings and animals. Finally, the emotional and significant issue that loss entails is analyzed, highlighting the importance of human-animal relationships in daily life; thus seeing it as a bond that is established through the vision of the pet as an important part of the family. In addition, this bond provides well-being and health for humans in terms of reducing loneliness (preventing suicide or depression), lowering anxiety levels (which is why pets are important in emotional, psychological and immunological therapeutic treatments), helping sick patients heal quickly thanks to their company (this is because these patients find more meaning in life by having a pet, and therefore their desire to live increases), among many other benefits not only physical, mental, but also social and psychological. Based on the previous analysis, a children's story will be made in which the subject of the emotional relationship between a child and his/her pet will be dealt with (understanding the animal as part of the family), the feeling of loss (natural) and how this affects the child emotionally and psychologically.