Week 1-2 of Critter Camp went well with the 3 – 5 graders the first week and the 6 – 8 graders the second week.

 

Below is the list of stats and highlights of our camp for both weeks:

 15 Campers, 3 volunteers and 1 teacher (Beth Humrich). 

  • Interactive activities included a rotation of Grooming, Cat Care and Agility Yard which were the most popular.
    • Groomed 22 dogs
    • Interacted a learned behavior of 66 cats
    • Walked and taught shelter manners with 26 dogs
  • Fridays we learned Clicker Training with Christine Strickland and Minnie Burke.
  • Started with speakers every morning including:
  1. Patt Glenn- Kindness to animals, bite prevention and who we are here at the SPCA
  2. Linda Singleton and Cal Arter- Brought her therapy dog Cody; talked about the use of therapy dogs.
  3. Mary Church- Disaster Preparation and the Scoop on Poop; being a responsible pet owner.
  4. Linda and Cassie from the Medical Center- Animal Health, Veterinary Care, Microchips, and Heartworm Prevention.
  • Made dogs toys, painted cat carriers, made animal magnets- all given back to the SPCA.
  • Watched surgeries.
  • Pet Care Scavenger Hunt with a digital camera
  • Wrote descriptions of 1 cat (Chauncey) and 1 dog (Vanilla) best paragraph went up on our website, great writing assignment for the kids.
  • No serious injuries
  • No behavior issues- all kids were well behaved and very smart.
  • Collected $34 in donations from one student who saved up all year!
  • Received cat and dog donations.
  • 3 cats and 2 dogs got adopted by Critter Camp parents!

 Feedback:

 “Thank you for providing this wonderful opportunity for the kids in our community.  Nick thoroughly enjoyed Critter Camp and was eager to get to camp each morning.  We are so thankful that he found our newest family member, Hampton.”

 “Thank you for a wonderful program!  We are looking forward to next year!”

 “My daughter loved walking the dogs and interacting with the animals.  I appreciate the information you shared with them, e.g. heartworm prevention, therapy dogs and spay and neuter.”

 “Everything was fantastic from the logistics to the snacks and fun.  Thank you for making my daughter Molly’s camp experience such a great one.  She is looking forward to volunteering in the fall.”

 “Nick loved it! Josh loved it!  You do so many activities and it appears to be very organized.  Great Job!”

 “Watching my daughter’s face light up each day I came home and asked her what she did. She loves caring for the animals and has since taken up the Clicker Training with our dog at the house.”

Many parents responded that we should have the hours extended for next year.

Also when asked about the quality of teaching with speakers and interactive activities we got EXCELLENT across the board.

 Thank you SPCA staff and volunteers for making this program a great success!   

 I am looking forward to next summer’s Critter Camp.  Please check our website for details on next year’s Critter Camp.