Education
Working alongside SPCA Malta and hopefully in conjunction with the Government of Malta (including the Ministry of Education and the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment), we aim to lead a drive to educate the population in responsible ownership of their pets. Pictured here is the new Education Officer for Dogs Trust in Malta, Irene Micallef.
We will have a large scale youth education programme aimed at all educational facilities in Malta, running alongside an extensive neutering and responsible pet ownership campaign on the island. The programme will initially promote responsible pet ownership messages to primary school children – this age-group is ready and able to absorb and understand new information, yet still young enough to be forming opinions and behaviours. It will also be a perfect way to approach the older generation through the children talking about our messages at home with their parents.
In the first few years of the programme we will potentially talk to over 40,000 primary school children!
The Education Officer’s workshop
The programme is divided into 3 themes:
- A Pet’s Needs / Staying Safe
- Around Pets
- Responsible Pet Ownership
These themes can be adapted or changed to focus on ‘local’ needs and issues.
What happens in a workshop?
The workshops are always positive and upbeat – to encourage (rather than enforce) correct behaviour around pets, leaving the children with lots of positive thoughts on responsible pet care and the benefits to them, the animals and their community.
The sessions are very interactive with lots of room for discussion, debate and role playing. The main teaching points will always be summarised at the end of the workshop and children are left with a fun, colourful information card, a pocket Responsible Pet Ownership magazine, a classroom poster pledge and a personal certificate.
Benefits for the community
By talking to schoolchildren and providing exciting, fun and informative workshops, we are raising awareness of the importance of responsible pet ownership.
It strengthens community relationships – for pet owners and non-pet owners – by creating an awareness of the consequences of irresponsible pet ownership.
You can contact the Education team on: (mobile) 77 66 1000.