How to teach a child to respect animals?

Would you be able to volunteer at the animal shelter since you don't have pets at home? She could see how everyone else treats the animals. Point out when you see someone loving up one of the animals. Relate it to how you show her love. Such as, "Look how she is holding that kitty in her lap. See how she is petting the kitty very gently. The kitty loves to be petted gently, just like you like to have hugs from Mommy." We've had to do this sort of thing with my daughter. She is 7 and has autism. Kids with autism have a hard time reading and relating to other's emotions. That includes animals. She gets a lot of practice because we have a dog and two cats.