80 Animal Ambassadors Graduate from Paws Up For Pets Program
C.A.R.E.4PAWS graduates 80 animal ambassadors through its new youth initiative, Paws Up For Pets. Read the full story here.
At the end of May, C.A.R.E.4Paws graduated more than 80 young and excited Animal Ambassadors in Santa Barbara County through their Paws Up for Pets program, a new educational initiative that promotes accountability and compassion for animals and empathy in the community as a whole. A collaboration between C.A.R.E.4Paws, United Boys & Girls Clubs, Davey’s Voice and, as of June 7, the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise, Paws Up for Pets focuses mainly on children age six through 15 enrolled in afterschool programs. The 80 children who graduated included youth from United Boys & Girls Clubs Lompoc unit, the Chumash Reservation and a Girl Scout troop in Goleta.
The children worked on their Animal Ambassador badges—Paws Up for Pets’ Badge 1—weekly for several months, learning about topics such as responsible pet care, pet overpopulation, shelter animals, and the importance of showing kindness to all living beings. “The kids have worked hard to earn their first badge, and we’re so proud of them,” says Carlos Abitia, C.A.R.E.4Paws’ bilingual Community Outreach & Youth Program Director and the organization’s cofounder. “Our humane education program is unique in that it engages children over a period of time as opposed to an hour once a year, for example. This allows us to get to know the kids and talk a lot about how to be a great pet caretaker, teach them that animals have feelings like us, and what to do when a pet is lost, sick or abused.”
The children worked on their Animal Ambassador badges—Paws Up for Pets’ Badge 1—weekly for several months, learning about topics such as responsible pet care, pet overpopulation, shelter animals, and the importance of showing kindness to all living beings. “The kids have worked hard to earn their first badge, and we’re so proud of them,” says Carlos Abitia, C.A.R.E.4Paws’ bilingual Community Outreach & Youth Program Director and the organization’s cofounder. “Our humane education program is unique in that it engages children over a period of time as opposed to an hour once a year, for example. This allows us to get to know the kids and talk a lot about how to be a great pet caretaker, teach them that animals have feelings like us, and what to do when a pet is lost, sick or abused.”
Following the Animal Ambassador award, children have the opportunity to earn more badges. The Animal Advocate badge involves a tour of a local shelter followed by a creative project. Some students choose to virtually adopt and write about a shelter pet. Others focus on the topic of how all pets are individuals and that shelter animals have their own unique personalities and history—just like us! The United Boys & Girls Club Carpinteria Unit, whose students graduated Badge 1 in December, are now working on their shelter projects, following in-depth tours of ASAP, BUNS and County Animal Services’ dog shelter, all located on Overpass Road in Santa Barbara. Next comes the Animal Leader badge, which encourages Animal Advocates to mentor kids just starting the Paws Up program.
Paws Up for Pets was created in response to several incidents of severe animal cruelty in Santa Barbara County and a general concern that few cruelty cases are reported, despite the strong connection between animal abuse and family violence. Years of research links animal abuse to violent behavior toward humans and shows that children who mistreat animals are more likely to act violently later in life. And, according to data collected from WestEd surveys and the California Department of Education, Santa Barbara County has a high rate of bullying—one third of public school students here have reported being bullied. “When you show children how to be respectful and kind to animals, the ripple effects are endless,” says Abitia. “Children feel empowered, and are less likely to harm a pet, hurt a friend or bully a classmate. And they bring these values into adulthood.”
Poverty affects the welfare of our youth as well as our pets. In high-poverty areas, such as Lompoc and Santa Maria, more than 30 percent of adults and 40 percent of children live at or below the poverty line. And as many as 65 percent of these households own pets, according to a 2015-2016 National Pet Owners Survey. The good news is, Paws Up for Pets connects pet-owning families in need with access to free and low-cost services that improve quality of life for animals and their owners. This includes spays and neuters, vaccines, vet care, and pet food through C.A.R.E.4Paws.
In addition to C.A.R.E.4Paws’ original Paws Up collaborators that include United Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara County and Davey’s Voice, the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise just joined as a partner with a $1,500 grant to support Paws Up workbooks, badges, certificates and “Stay Pawsitive” T-shirts for at least 50 children participating in the program. “The Rotary Club of Santa Barbara Sunrise, made up of local business, professional and civic leaders, has a history of supporting impactful community service programs that make a positive difference in the lives of youth, says President Chris Baxter. “Sunrise Rotary is thrilled to support C.A.R.E.4Paws’ new, innovative Paws Up for Pets program, which teaches compassion for animals and anti-bullying.”
Photo: Graduates from United Boys and Girls Club in Lompoc.