The Daily Gleaner, Fredericton, NB - What do you do when you meet a dog for the first time? How do you care for a ferret? These are just a couple of the things kids at a humane education summer camp are learning.
Education is a priority for the Fredericton SPCA. That’s why it has set up two pilot humane education summer camps; the first SPCA camps in Atlantic Canada.
LeeAnn Haggerty is the Fredericton SPCA’s education outreach co-ordinator.
She was at the Doone Street Wilson Row Community Centre last week and is at the Hawkins Street Community Centre this week. The SPCA is helping kids at both camps to become more familiar with many animals and it’s sharing the message that all animals are living beings with physical and emotional needs.
“The first day they met foster kittens from the SPCA, the second day was ferrets, and today they meet Abe (a Newfoundland dog), tomorrow will be (domesticated pet rats) from a rat rescue and tomorrow will be a canine police dog.”
When these camps are finished, the children will tell the SPCA what they liked about the camps.
This information will be used by the organization to help develop better and more education programs for other kids in the future, says Haggerty.
To help them better understand this message, the large Newfoundland dog named Abe arrives at the Doone Street Wilson Row Community Centre. As he walks through the back door, along with owners Annette and Greg James, some of the kids want to run over to the dog while others are more timid and stay back, admitting they are afraid of the large eight-year-old dog. Some of the kids say he looks like a bear.
“Abe will greet you,” Greg James tells the kids.
The dog walks around the room sniffing the floor, the furniture and the children before he settles himself down and rests his large head on the cool floor. It’s easy to see he is relaxed in this new space. His large tongue laps up water from a nearby bowl, splashing the floor around it.
The Jameses spend the next hour talking with the kids about this breed and what their needs are.
“These are very big, powerful dogs and they were bred to haul the fishermen’s catch up from the shore to the home. They also have webbed feet so in between their toes there’s flesh like a duck so they can paddle when they swim to pull them through the water.
Their coat is oily because they are great rescuers and they save people who are drowning. They swim in the North Atlantic where it’s really cold,” explains Annette James. Then she invites the children to feel Abe’s fur.
Once-timid kids start to relax too and they’re eager to pet him. The kids are reminded to never pet a dog without asking the owner’s permission.
Today the kids will learn about bite prevention and a dog’s body language.
“It’s better if you keep your hands close to you and let the dog sniff you but if you are going to put your hand out, close your fist and keep it close to your body,” says Greg James.
Never put your hand over a dog’s head because this might stress them.
When you approach any dog, it’s always best to do so from the side and not straight on because a dog might view this as a threat, they explain.
“We want to show the dog that we are not a bully so we turn sideways to the dog,” he adds.
If a dog doesn’t want to be touched, it’s always best to leave it alone. If you encounter a stray dog, who seems aggressive, stand very still. If it knocks you to the ground, curl up into a tight ball to protect your organs, advises Greg James.
“Your legs are protecting your tummy and your chest and your arms are protecting your face.”
The children are then asked to practice this on the floor.
The kids then take turns walking Abe. In some cases, the very large dog is walking the very small kids.
After a while, Abe decides the lesson is through and rolls over on his back looking for a belly rub. He looks as though he’s grinning from ear-to-ear.
He likes the attention.
It’s been a great visit. Annette and Greg James own and operate canine education franchise Bark Busters. They’ve volunteered their time with the SPCA over the past two years.
Annette James says these kinds of public education sessions are the key to making sure children learn to treat all creatures with kindness.
“Education is so important to help the community to learn how to treat dogs better. The mission of Bark Busters is to aid in prevention of euthanization, abandonment and maltreatment of animals. Dogs that bite get put down and we don’t want kids to get bitten. Teaching them to properly approach an animal, a strange animal, whether it is on a leash or running loose is extremely important.”
Haggerty is pleased with today’s camp and says it’s important for kids to have positive interactions with animals.
The more understanding children have about animals, the more they will care about them and treat them humanely.
Keisha Babineau, 12, has a cat and a hamster at home. At first, she says, she was a little intimidated by the very large Newfoundland dog but when she met him she realized he is a gentle giant.
“I learned to let a dog smell you first and to always ask permission before you pet a dog and to keep your arm close to your body.”
Nine-year-old Yasmine Wambolt (pictured) says she has always loved dogs and has read a lot about many breeds. Being a part of this camp is special, she says, because it helps her and others who are at the camp to learn a lot about the needs of many animals.
“It’s very fun. We get to meet a lot of animals. We learned if it is angry, walk backwards very slowly. And then you curl up into a ball and wait until it leaves.”
Yasmine’s mother, Jenn Wambolt, says her daughter is passionate about dogs and having an opportunity to come to this SPCA camp has been wonderful for her and all of the children.
“It teaches them how to approach animals and not to be afraid of them.
“And it teaches them kindness and gentleness and I think all kids need to learn this.”
Article by: Laverne Stewart, THE DAILY GLEANER stewart.laverne@dailygleaner.com