Teaching kids kindness towards animals

The post about animals in movies brought to mind something I've been pondering for a while. There is something that has always bothered me (since I was a child) and it's hitting closer to home now. I grew up in NYC and it always bothered me so much to see kids running at flocks of pigeons to scare them off. Parents oblivious or worse..encouraging them. I know some people consider them "flying rats" but it would upset me to be feeding them in Central park and have some idiot kid (my same age usually), scare them to watch them scatter.
I recently started a job that has a pond outside that is home to alot (40+) mallard ducks and the occasional Canadian Goose. I can watch them out of our big window and see many families coming with bread to feed them. It's such a tranquil sound and feeling. I just love the background sound of the fountains and the loud QUACK QUACK QUACK is a big part of why I love my job. However, I've noticed that there seems to be those parents that let their little hellions chase the ducks that are just there trying to get some food. I do go out and yell at the older teens that are harrasing them on their own but I was upset when I was ringing up a sale for a younger mom with a couple of toddlers and she said "Okay now. You can go out and chase the ducks." I was so taken aback I automatically said..."Why would you want them to frighten the ducks?? They are so sweet and tame they eat out of your hand." She looked at me puzzled and left. I guess I'm lucky she didn't report me as she is a customer and the store would probably not look kindly on my critizing her, but why don't these parents teach their kids some compassion for animals?? This was far from an issolated case. To take pleasure from another animals fear is just wrong. Where is that disconnect from a psersons fear and that of an animal? Am I over reacting?
:(

I am with you 100%! Often tempted to "accidently" trip up any little darling I see chasing the pigeons in our town centre....... :D

I feel the same way. In Reno, I lived next to a lake where people fed the geese and ducks quite a bit. There was always the idiots letting the kids chase the wildlife and sometimes people let their dogs go after the birds. :( I would just get the pidgeons to eat out of my hand when some jerk would come along and scare them off :mad:
I wish people would respect animals a lot more and teach their kids to do the same

I saw some little kid throwing rocks at the ducks the other day at the lake, a very small boy. It made me so mad I almost went over and said something.