The Humane Society of Sarasota County, Inc.

Reading

The Humane Society of Sarasota County offers a wide variety of humane education programs including classroom visits, shelter tours, and the monthly newsletter, Kind News. If we do not have a program that fits your needs, we would be happy to design a program for you.

Contact the HSSC education department at 955-4131 for more information.

CONTACT:
Kate Franklin
Education Director
Extension 114

Charlene Bing
Education Assistant
Extension 113

EMAIL:
education@hssc.org

Pet Therapy
FUR FUN Fridays
Community Service for Teens
Reading FUR FUN
The Kind News

The Humane Society of Sarasota County’s Pet Therapy Program began in 1992. We provide volunteer teams at no cost to area nursing homes, assisted living facilities, social services agencies and schools throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties. Pet therapy teams provide a wide range of services, and therapy pets come in all sizes and species.

The first step in joining the Pet Therapy Program is an introductory session for the human team member, which includes a tour of the HSSC shelter and information about the practice of pet therapy.

For all canines, the next step is to become registered with Therapy Dogs Inc., a national program that provides liability insurance for pet therapy teams. Testing is performed at HSSC and other locations, after which, teams are invited to join HSSC’s pet therapy group.

Cats and other small animals will be accepted into the pet therapy program after an evaluation which will include temperament testing, therapy training and a visit to a nearby facility for “paws on” learning.

If you would like to become a Pet Therapy volunteer or if you would like to arrange visits to a facility or school, call Kate Franklin at 955-4131, ext. 114.

Fall means it's time once again for the Humane Society of Sarasota County's fun-filled, Fur Fun Fridays program. The monthly program for children ages 8-12, provided by HSSC's Education Department, teaches children about pet safety, care and respect, as well as responsibility for all animals. Participants also spend time with HSSC's shelter pets and enjoy games and crafts.

The program meets on four consecutive Fridays from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. in HSSC's Education Center.

The fee is $35.00 per child per four-week session.

Registration is required and space is limited. To register, contact Humane Educator Charlene Bing at 955-4131, ext. 113 or email at cbing@hssc.org.

FOOD DRIVES
Collect any brand pet food , dry or canned for dogs, puppies, cats and kittens.

SHELTER SUPPLY COLLECTIONS
Collect non-clumping cat litter, blankets, towels, dog & cat treats, laundry products, bathing and grooming aides, and pet toys for donation to HSSC.

COMMUNITY AWARENESS
Distribute flyers and brochures to help improve community awareness about HSSC shelter animals to all areas of Sarasota County.

ALUMINUM RECYCLING
Collect and transport recyclable aluminum to Scrap-All of Sarasota at 1735 Myrtle St and request that all proceeds be donated to HSSC, and obtain a receipt.

MAKING CAGE COMFORTERS AND TOYS FOR CATS & DOGS
Shelter animals can always use toys and beds. Use old towels and every day household supplies to provide comfort to HSSC’s charges and make them feel at home.

CREATING ARTFUL POSTERS
Design a poster to hang at school with an important shelter theme or topic.

PENNY DRIVE FUND RAISER
Classes compete against other classrooms to see who can bring in the most pennies for the shelter animals.

ADOPTION PROMOTIONS
Place flyers and posters showing adoptable animals from the HSSC shelter.

SPECIAL EVENTS AND FUNDRAISERS
HSSC always needs help promoting and working at events that fund the shelter and/or promote awareness.

PET THERAPY
If you have a dog, cat or other friendly animal in your family, check into becoming a certified pet therapy volunteer. Pet therapy certification requires a series of classes, and volunteers under 18 must be accompanied by a parent.

If your school or organization has another idea, let us know. We’re always looking for new ways to help the animals.

Volunteer service not only helps area agencies, it greatly enriches the lives of those who donate their time and talents to the community. HSSC appreciates the desire of children and teens to help the orphaned animals we care for. HSSC offers a program for kids under the age of 18 to earn community service hours to meet school, scout, church or other organization's requirements. Volunteers complete a number of hours of work helping to promote HSSC and its orphaned animals. Once the project has been completed and documented, the volunteer may attend an HSSC shelter tour and visit with selected dogs and cats.

Community service hours may be earned by individuals, or with groups and organizations of all kinds. Projects could include food and supply drives, brochure distribution, recycling, or whatever you can do for the shelter. We are always looking for new ways to help the animals. Projects must be approved in advance by HSSC's Education Department, and the work performed must be documented.

Kids from schools and organizations all over Sarasota County have helped the orphaned animals at HSSC in a variety of ways.

At Pine View, the students raised $700 and collected 750 pounds of dog and cat food in an entirely student run project.
All the walls in the dog kennel building were painted by Eagle scouts.
“Muggles 4 Mutts,” a Harry Potter themed fundraiser and adoption event was largely planned and presented by a group of teens this summer.
Students from the Brickhouse Academy delivered a bus full of supplies for the shelter.

Whether you want to work with other kids or by yourself, there are lots of things you can do to help. Click on the link to the right for community service project suggestions.

PHOTOS ALBUMS

Teen Club Photos

Most people believe that pets are good for us. Studies show that being with pets, even for a short time, can lower blood pressure, decrease depression, and enhance health in many other ways. But there is also evidence that pets can help kids learn.

Throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties, in schools and libraries, a new form of mentoring is helping children improve their reading skills. Canine literacy mentors are pawing their way into school curricula.

The premise of these innovative programs is that reading to dogs reduces the children’s fear of reading. Dogs, as reading partners, provide a warm, nurturing atmosphere where kids can stumble with words without criticism. The dogs are nonjudgmental and supportive, regardless of the reader’s accuracy. This unconditional acceptance allows the children to relax and begin to enjoy reading.

Now in its fifth year, the Abel Elementary program , follows a standard pattern for Reading FUR FUN. Five dog/human teams meet in whatever space is made available in the library or another classroom. Humans sit on chairs or on the floor next to the dog; children come in – one per dog - and read for fifteen minutes, sometimes hugging or petting the dogs, sometimes just sitting close to them.

Dogs of all breeds and sizes can be reading mentors. Dogs are evaluated through HSSC and registered nationally with Therapy Dogs Incorporated, which provides liability insurance to the teams. Many of the dogs have completed the AKC Canine Good Citizen testing. Dog handlers are trained as reading mentors, through workshops offered by HSSC. Human team members are required to submit to the same security background checks as other school volunteers.

The Manatee Chamber of commerce awarded HSSC the honor of “2007 Civic Partner of the Year” for the Reading FUR FUN Program. Teachers are delighted with the improved skills and attitudes of their students. “When the child has that comfort with both the person and the dog, they’re going to read better and sound more fluent,” says Karen Rundy, teacher at Abel Elementary School

Dogs are also helping children read at Selby, Gulf Gate, Fruitville and North Sarasota libraries, as well as the Books-A-Million stores in Bradenton and Sarasota. For more information about canine reading programs through the Humane Society of Sarasota County, call Charlene Bing at 955-4131, ext. 113.

A monthly newspaper sent to 4th grade classrooms in Sarasota County Schools by the HSSC education department. Kind News teaches children about being kind to animals, the environment, and each other. For just $30 per classroom, you can help create a kinder future. To "adopt" a 4th grade teacher, call 955-4131 extension 114.