Summer Camp has Begun!

The end of the school year means a change in my job duties -- namely the beginning of HAWS Kids N Critters Day Camp.  This week we will have 73 kids coming to our camp during three sessions.  Two of the sessions are for 2 days each, Tuesday/Wednesday and also Thursday/Friday.  Typically kids attend those sessions if they aren't sure they'd enjoy our camp, or if they have other activities planned during the week.

We also have a 5 day camp that started on Monday.  The kids have had a chance to walk dogs, play with cats and rabbits, meet Voodoo the snake and do a lot of fun activities. 

One of the activities that all of the campers attending our week-long session are required to do is a little bit of volunteer work.  They spend a half an hour during the week cleaning out a few of the cat cages -- helping to scoop the litter pan, wipe down surfaces, take bedding to the laundry, and provide fresh food and water. 

Suprisingly, many of the kids are eager to help out -- something their parents would be amazed to hear since many of these same kids are reluctant to clean at home.  Some of the kids are disgusted at having to scoop poop, or wipe down messy resting places. 

One of our goals for campers is to show them that having a pet may be very rewarding and a lot of fun, but it's also a lot of work, and sometimes is a bit disgusting.

We still have openings for some of the sessions this summer, if you'd like your child to experience fun with animals, while at the same time discovering their responsibility.   Check the HAWS Kids N Critters page for availability.

In Tribute to an Education Snake

Sadly HAWS education snake, Severus, died over the weekend. It wasn't unexpected -- she was surrendered to us in 2007 and the previous owners told us she was 25 at the time; that would have made her almost 29 years old at the time of her death. With a California King Snake's life expectancy being between 20 and 30 years, it turns out she lived to a ripe old age.

We didn't know Severus was a "she" until last year when she was experiencing some gastrointestinal distress and we had her visit Dr. Kevin Ruch at Elmbrook Veterinary Clinic. Dr. Ruch is a specialist in reptile medicine and he did a great job caring for her, and identified her as a female.

Severus was the perfection education animal. She was content to be left alone, and happy to be brought out and handled as well. Because most kids haven't ever held a snake, she gave the kids in our education programs a new experience. And it was fun to see the kids start out repulsed and then come to think she was really cool.

Now that she's sunning herself on the snake rock in the sky Severus will be missed here at HAWS, and we are thankful for the almost 4 years of service she was able to contribute.

Camp is Over, But Not Forgotten

Camp ended a week ago, and I'd like to be able to say that the activity room is a lot quieter, but that's just not true! HAWS has been under construction since early June -- most of the work has been on the front of the building, but with the addition of new space we are required to put in a new sprinkler system. We've exchanged the sound of kids laughing and yelling with the sound of sawing and pounding.

You might think that now that camp is over I've put it behind me until I need to start planning for the summer of 2010. Actually -- I've already started to plan for 2010! One of the things I did this year was to put together a survey for the parents to fill out. Overall we got some very positive feedback, such as the following:

- My daughter is already planning on attending next year and her younger brother will be old enough, so it is on his calendar as well!
- my daughter loves it. She is a budding vet (or something) and has a great time at camp always!!
- My niece was in town and would have loved to do camp. She is interested in starting a similar camp at their humane society in Virginia.
- My daughter had a really fun time at the camp. I wish I hadn't waited to sign her up so she could have gotten into both weeks. Thanks so much for offering this camp. I will make sure I look into registering earlier.
- very very fun
- my daughter loves animals and she had so much fun - she wants to go back the rest of the week. I wish we had signed up for one of the 5 day camps.
- My daughter loved it. Not one complaint.

Not all the survery results were positive. Some of the parents requested more time with the animals and (suprisingly) more volunteer work cleaning cages. One parent complained about the 1/2 an hour after lunch that we have the kids watch animal related movies (most educational), one said we should have a movie with popcorn, and one requested better movies. One child complained about the outdoor games we play, and one stated he would like more outdoor playtime.

Truly we are not going to be able to please every child and every parent -- but were certainly can (and will) try. One of the comments from a parent was that her son told her that if he was bored or didn't like an activity there was a new one starting within a half an hour so it wasn't so bad. So that tells me that we're on the right track.

The survey results are very important to me. While it's a bit demoralizing to hear that our camp program isn't 100% fantastic, it also gives me very important information on how next year's camp can be better.

And the building addition will be a big factor in making that happen. We will have an additional meeting room so that we can have more children attending camp, but fewer in the same room; and more nooks and crannies. We can have smaller groups of kids interacting with an animal at a time - a better experience for both the children and the animal. And we will definately put more animal interaction into our schedule (currently they interact with animals between 5 and 6 times a day for 15 minutes to 1/2 an hour at a time).

If you have any suggestions I'd love to hear them!

Campers Training Shelter Dogs

One of the camp activities that the older kids enjoy doing is dog training. We put the kids into groups of three, and each group is given a dog to train. Many of the dogs haven't ever learned anything from their previous owners, and many are a challange to work with.

The kids enjoy being able to spend time with a shelter dog, but they also learn that training a dog can be much more difficult than it looks. Some of the dogs truly want to figure out what the kids want, but just can't figure it out. It's a typical case of inter-species failure to communicate.

We don't tell the kids what they have to teach the dogs -- this is camp after all and it's meant to be fun. But we do show them how to teach whatever interests them, and sometimes make suggestions.

This summer HAWS adoptable dogs learned how to sit and lay down (and some learned to calm down in the presence of kids -- an invaluable lesson!), spin, shake, rollover, go through a hula hoop, crawl beneath chairs, and just look so cute that the kids had to give them free treats.

Field Trips

One of the experiences we provide for the kids attending our 5-day camps is the opportunity to go on a field trip and experience animals that they wouldn't encounter at HAWS.

While Wisconsin is known as "The Dairy State", many city and suburban kids haven't ever had a chance to visit a dairy farm. Earlier this summer we visited the Cozy Nook Farm in Waukesha and the kids were able to meet some of the bovine providers of the milk they drink, and the cheese, yogurt and ice-cream they eat. The kids learned what hard work farming is, let calves suckle their fingers, fed hay to some of the cows, and got a hay ride.

Another group of campers went to visit Waterville Farm and learned about caring for horses, got to meet some mares and their foals, and were able to pet some beautiful show horses. They learned about tack and grooming, and each camper was able to brush a horse.

Last weeks group of campers were able to have more of a hand-on experience at Knollwood Farm in Hartland. The kids groomed the horses, put on tack and got a riding lesson. They learned that caring for horses is hard work, and doesn't always smell very nice. But every one said that it was one of their favorite parts of camp.

My Guest Bloggers

This week I decided to take the easy way out and let some of the kids from camp do my blogging for me. Some chose to write something, and some chose to draw. These bloggers are between 9 and 12 years of age. I hope you enjoy it!


Alyssa S.



HAWS by Raven S.
Kittens and puppies may look cute, but have you ever thought about what happens to older dogs and cats? HAWS works extra hard to put older animals in homes. They have tried to lower prices on older animal. They also bring them into camps to show the volunteers that come here for camp. Reach out and help an older animal out. How would you like to live your whole life in a cage? Adopt an older dog today!!

HAWS Rocks!!



Carly B.



















A Great Place by Mary Kate A.
HAWS is supportive in so many ways -- that's why you should be supportive by adopting a pet at HAWS. This awesome place has dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, lizards, birds and more.

I'm going to talk about animals that you might want to adopt here at HAWS. First pets are Lily and Norm. Lily is two and Norm is eight. These pets want to be adopted together because they were from the same home. these pets will change your life. Lilly and Norm will be your best friends. Lily is a beagle and Norm is a terrier mix.

Next is Flower. Flower is a kitten with a bundle of energy. Flower loves to play and cuddle with you. Flower is for someone who needs to be happy. Flower is a shooting star. Flower is not even one yet.

Next is Boss. Boss isn't even one yet either. Boss is a pitbull, but don't worry, Boss won't hurt you if you take care of him the right way. Boss is a crazy pup.

Finally Tonka. Tonka is a St. Bernard. A gentle giant. Tonka is awesome, he can be for any one. Even you. Go to HAWS and look for your special pet. If it's not there today, go tomorrow, next week, next month, next year. You'll end up finding your dream pet.



Sam B.
























Iris
I am not a cat person, but when I saw Gable I knew I wanted him. He is the cutest kitten. When I saw him I thought he was full grown, but no, he is only 5 months old. Me and my friend were both looking at kittens. We saw a 3 month old and said, "oh, she is so little". Then I looked up and saw Gable. then my friend's mom said "that cat is only 5 months old". We were both amazed that cats grow that fast.

I walked out and saw Lilly and Norm. They are the cutest buddy pair I have ever seen. Lilly is a 2 year old Beagle, and Norm is an 8 year old terrier mix. I looked at the next cage over and saw Patch. She is a super cute tan and white pit bull. I got her to sit and lay down. I know Patch is the dog for me or you!



Lauren



















HAWS by Kirstin E.
HAWS stands for Humane Animal Welfare Society. HAWS rocks. HAWS adopts out dogs, cats, bunny rabbits, birds, iguanas, ferrets and has visitation rooms. Plus they have their own mascot, his name is Mystic.

We love HAWS.




Kaelyn



















Jenny V.

Volunteering at Camp

Our week-long Kid's N Critters Day Camps include doing volunteer work around HAWS. The kids clean cages, stuff food into Kongs for the dogs to work on, sort newspapers, and the older kids do some dog training.

When I first proposed adding volunteer work as part of our camp cirriculum I was told that it would be hard to get the kids to want to do it. However, I knew that part of what we want kids to get out of our education program is the realization that while pets are a lot of fun, they are also a lot of work. What better way to get that point across than to have the kids actually get a taste of it?

I think many of the parents would be amazed to find out that most of the kids actually enjoy the volunteer work that we have the kids do -- including the litterbox scooping, and rabbit cage cleaning. And I'm very sure that many of these same kids balk at having to clean up after their own pets at home.

Hopefully the message that caring for animals is a responsibility is getting through to the kids as they attend camp. And maybe getting a taste of volunteer work now will create a desire to be official HAWS volunteers when they are old enough.

Growing Up

One of the most rewarding things about having worked at HAWS for 5 years and running a day camp for that length of time is seeing the kids come back every year. It always amazes me not only how much they've grown physically, but how much more mature they are from year to year.

A few years ago one of our campers expressed disappointment that she would soon be too old to attend camp. Kat had always been one of the kids who showed a great amount of enthusiasm for animals and always enjoyed the activities -- she was a lot of fun to be around, and one of the kids I always looked forward to seeing every year. I assured her that when she was too old to come to camp that she would be old enough to be a volunteer counselor.

Sure enough, Kat is back this year, not as a camper, but as a counselor in training. She's jumped in with both feet -- taking on the responsibility of supervising the kids, running activities, and even doing the work that isn't a lot of fun such as cleaning up and taking the garbage out. I've promised Kat that when she is 16 next year I will hire her.

I'm gratified that our summer program is making an impact on how the kids who attend view and care for animals, and that they want to be a part of HAWS. I already have my eye on a number of 9 year olds to be counselors in training the summer of 2015.

Kid's and Cameras

Several years ago HAWS Education Department was given a small grant by the New Berlin Jounior Women's Club to purchase a digital video camera. Our request to them indicated that we planned on using it as an education tool for our summer camp -- and primarily that's what we've been doing with it.

I mentioned in an earlier post that I was always looking for new activities for the kids who attended camp so that they wouldn't get bored. Initially we just had the kids make public service announcments about a topic that they had learned at camp. But a few years ago PetFinder.com -- an on-line website that posts animals available for adoption for rescues and shelters, made it possible to post video of adoptable animals. This is of huge benefit, because video many times shows the personality of an animal in a way that a written description or photograph can't.

We started this activity with last year's summer camp -- with several sessions of the older kids. Not only did the kids really enjoy making the videos, it made them feel as though they were helping the shelter and the animals we have here, and even more importantly several of the videos were directly responsible for adoptions!

This year we've already had one session make videos of some of HAWS adoptables. I'm embedding one of them, but you can access the rest on our PhotoBucket account.

I've chosen the video of Tubby -- not because it's better than the others, but because Tubby in in huge need of exposure. A 9-year old lab mix, Tubby has been at the shelter for many months without much interest. If you know anyone who could be Tubby's new people send them to HAWS!

My Humane Education Co-Worker

One of my co-workers shares my office, weighs 55 lbs and occasionally likes to clean his private parts in public. Like most non-profit employees he really doesn't get paid a lot, but he never complains about being paid in Pup-Peroni. Mystic is a 4 year old border collie that I adopted at the age of 8 weeks. He's been working with me ever since - accompanying me to day care centers, schools, scout troop meetings, adult day care, nursing homes and work places in Waukesha County. He's also the official mascot of HAWS Kid's 'n Critters Day Camp.

One of the benefits of using my own dog instead of a shelter dog is that I know without a doubt the he loves children and doesn't get overwhelmed when we vist what many times is a very stressful environment for a dog. I also know he won't pee on the floor (which could be embarrassing), and he knows a number of tricks -- which never fails to entertain our audience.


As ambassador from HAWS, Mystic plays an important role in promoting our educational messages. It's easy to dismiss a woman talking about responsible pet ownership and the needs of the animals in the Waukesha community. But bring a well-behaved, enthusiastic and friendly, furry face along, and the message becomes much more relavant.