Earlier this month, teachers and students at Edison Elementary received the sad news that they would need to remove all classroom pets from the school. Pets in the classroom have a long history, and provide substantial benefits to students. Students may feel more motivated to learn, particularly about subjects related to animals, science and the environment. A pet also often helps to draw socially withdrawn or anxious children out of their shells, as the animals can be a basis for connection and conversations with other students and the teacher. In addition, pets foster a greater sense of community in which students, parents and teachers work together towards the care of the animals. Pets in the classroom should always be clean and well cared for, and in our experience this has been the case at Edison. We would like district staff to reverse their ban on classroom pets, and think of other ways to address any hygiene concerns raised by teachers without pets.