The Australian Directory of Human Animal Interaction Programs

Responsible Pet Ownership Education Program

The Responsible Pet Ownership Education Program caters for three target audiences: primary school children, preschool children (and their parents) and the general community. The schools branch of the program was launched in 2000, and has since visited around 4,500 primary schools and 1,000 preschools, reaching over 630,000 children. The Program involves free visits to Victorian schools by a team of 65 trained educators and their temperament-tested pets. Visits have been divided into various age appropriate sessions to cover the concepts of responsible pet ownership, and in particular safety around dogs in order to prevent dog attacks. The preschool visits also include parent talks on the topic of child safety with dogs. Comprehensive Teachers Kits have been developed, to help teachers build upon Program visits. Kits have been incorporated into curriculum standards, and include units of work and worksheets, teacher reference materials, ‘big’ storybooks, and other resources such as videos and CDs. The Internet site further supports the Program.

The Community Program promotes responsible pet ownership education messages to the general community, distributing around 500,000 publications each year. The Program also provides councils with the education resources they need to promote responsible pet ownership at a local level.

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