Humane Education

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already a devoted pet owner. You’re one of those folks that are as amazed by your four-legged companions today as much as you were the first day you brought them home and you provide large doses of compassion in addition to meeting your pets basic needs.

If you’re reading this, you’ve also probably experienced frustration, anger, sadness and hopelessness when you witness an animal being neglected or in poor care. Animal cruelty is often a symptom of other problems; a chaotic and stressful home environment or even abuse in the home. Animal cruelty is often unintentional cruelty because it simply comes from a pet owner not having learned that animals feel, that they require socialization and need us to fully provide for their care. This lack of knowledge is often a generational problem.

So what can we do to help alleviate the problem of animal suffering? And how can we prevent future generations from continuing the same practice?

Educating the next generation about responsible pet ownership
is the most effective way of preventing future acts of cruelty.

Show & Tail
An educational program serving K - 12th grade classes. We have trained volunteers eager to present humane education programs with a view towards creating empathy for all living creatures.

Camp Luv-A-Pet
Developed for children entering 2nd or 3rd grade, is a new summer camp first made available August 2008. The program is designed to teach young people about the LA/SPCA and general animal care topics. They are introduced to services the shelter offers, safety with animals, pet handling and care, grooming skills, and responsible pet ownership.

Care Cadet Camp
Care Cadet Camp, developed for children entering 6th or 7th grade, fills the shelter with happy voices for three weeks each June. The program is designed to teach young people how to be humane educators to their peers.

Veterinarians of the Future Training Camp
This camp will first be offered for the summer of 2009!
VFTC has been developed for students entering the eleventh or twelfth grade with a serious interest in learning about careers in veterinary medicine.

Educate. Inform. Speak.

Consider volunteering in programs that educate children and share your knowledge of humane care and compassion for animals. LA/SPCA volunteers do this through our Show and Tail program.

Inform friends, family, and neighbors about how to be responsible pet owners. Set an example for your family by being a responsible pet owner yourself.

Speak at local functions and gatherings about the need to care for our animals and how people can help end animal cruelty.

Be an advocate.

The LA/SPCA’s Humane Education Department is doing all of this and more – but we can’t initiate major change without the help of our local citizens.

You create the culture that our children are raised in – does it tolerate animal cruelty, or actively fight against it? This is your chance to speak for those who cannot, to be an advocate. Will you join us?

If you want to help put an end to animal cruelty through humane education, please contact our director to:

• Learn how to become a volunteer

• To schedule a presentation

• To request humane education materials to use
  with your class, organization, or family.

You don’t have to have a formal background in teaching, but rather a willingness to learn and a desire to make a difference. Another area of need is scholarships for the children. Please consider sponsoring our humane education program with a contribution.

Below are some ideas on how your donations can make a difference:

• $30 Subscription to KIND news for a class

• $125 Scholarship for a 2nd or 3rd grade student to attend Camp Luv-A-Pet

• $200 Humane Education books and reference supplies for classroom

• $350 Scholarship for a 6th or 7th grade student to attend Care Cadet Camp

• $500 Scholarship for an 11th or 12th grade student to attend
  Veterinarians of the Future Camp

To sponsor our humane education program click on the Make a Donation link to the left.
Please use the section provided on the Check Out form, Comments/Special Instructions, to indicate whether your $125, $350, or $500 contribution is intended for a child's scholarship.