Animal Humane Society Helps Kids Develop Love of Animals
Every year, the Animal Humane Society provides care for more than 23,000 animals. It takes a team of compassionate people to help these pets, and one day, Kassidy Gonzalez-Mcglauchlen, 9, hopes to be one of those people.
“Well, cause I love animals and this is just a really good opportunity to really interact with the animals,” she said.
Kassidy is one of hundreds of kids who signed up this year for the Animal Humane Society’s summer camp. It’s a starting point for children who may want to pursue a career in veterinary medicine or animal welfare.
“A big goal that we have for the kids here at camp is to teach them compassion and empathy towards animals, toward their community and towards themselves,” said Amanda Hatling, the community outreach and humane education manager.
Camp Teaches Compassion
One way to help kids develop that compassion is by showing them what dogs are capable of doing.
During a recent session, representatives from the organization, Helping Paws, were on hand to demonstrate how their trained dogs can assist people with disabilities.
“For me personally, I think it’s just good exposure for the kids to learn about what one of, or a few of the many things that dogs do in this world for people,” said Jim Clark, a Helping Paws representative who showcased his own dog.
Showcasing a dog’s unique abilities is just one of the many things the kids learn during this week-long camp, but Humane Society officials hope the children learn other life lessons as they interact with the animals.
“You need compassion and empathy to interact in every aspect of your life,” Hatling said. “It teaches you to have more care and love for yourself along with your parents, your siblings, your classmates, well into adulthood.”
Speaking of adulthood, Kassidy is only 9 years old, but after a week of working with pets, she has a pretty good idea of what she wants to be when she grows up.
“I want to be a veterinarian because animals have forever been my dream,” she said. “And I’ve always loved animals.”
The Animal Humane Society’s summer camp runs through Aug. 16. Currently, all of the classes are full, but there is an online wait list.
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