THE DELTA Optimist

Site updated Wednesday, August 10, 2005 10:06 AM

Animal welfare at top of list for this summer camp

by Sandor Gyarmati

Kids are learning some important information about animals in a fun way at the Delta Humane Society's summer day camp this week.

The camp, being held at the society's Tilbury area shelter, has a different theme daily, everything from Animal Protection Day to Environment and Wildlife Day.

Executive director Amber Cottle said the society is hoping to have even more summer camps in the future.

"We're also going to try to get some grants to continue this program and actually expand upon them and make them better. We really want to empathize humane education," she said.

Cottle said the society is planning to undertake educational programs in Delta schools beginning this fall.

"What they do in the summer camps is a lot of arts and crafts and group activities, but what we're going to do more in the schools is talk about how to care for animals, how to train them and basically animal pet care with a big emphasis on bite prevention," she explained.

Last fall, the Delta Humane Society, a non-profit group, was awarded a three-year contract for animal control in the municipality that had been previously held by the SPCA.

On Jan. 1 of this year, the new society moved into the municipally-owned shelter.

It's basically doing the same work as the SPCA, but one of the stipulations in the contract with Delta is that animals won't be brought in from outside the municipality.

The society is also hoping to raise enough money for a portable building to have an education/training centre where public seminars can be held.

Other improvements planned for the shelter include upgrades to the kennel space.

For more information about the society or its programs, call 604-940-7111.

published on 08/10/2005