Pawsitive Programming

“Mom, can we get a puppy? No, how about a kitten? A hamster? Lizard? OK, a fish?”

If this conversation hasn’t graced your dinner table, it’s probably on its way (especially if your kids had the chance to bond with any furry spring babies on Easter weekend).

Not every family wants a pet, and not every family is a good candidate for a furry friend due to allergies, long hours away from home or just plain old busy lives. Unfortunately, those very adult reasons may not curb your child’s enthusiasm.

The Calgary Humane Society sees its fair share of pet adoption gone awry and would be the first to encourage families to wait until they are ready. While their mandate is to find ‘furever’ homes for shelter residents, the Humane Society has also developed programs designed to foster volunteerism and raise awareness of pet overpopulation.

We love the ‘Kids for Animals Club’ for kids aged 8 to 16. The club meets monthly from September to June and membership includes field trips, animal encounters (in rooms like Mewtopia and the Lizard Lounge), and tons of info on choosing and caring for pets. Applications for the 2010/2011 season are accepted in June.

The ‘Fuzzy Friends’ program introduces your children aged 3 to 5 (with parental hand-holding) to a new animal each week (for 10 weeks). School-aged children get an opportunity to participate in pet programming all summer long. The Humane Society pitches a new camp each week to teach kids about pet care and behavior. Camp registration deadline is May 31.

The Humane Society also offers birthday parties for children aged 6 to 13 that include a shelter tour and a special furry guest.

So while you may not be ready to announce that new addition to the family, you can say “yes” to your child’s wish for animal companionship while teaching pet-care skills (for potential future adoptions) in the process.

And that’s ‘fur real’.

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