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The ARF All Stars® program is a multi-day humane education course that emphasizes the value of companion animals in society and instructs children as to their care. Utilizing a unique “foster care” model with plush toy animals, children learn to understand and provide for a pet's needs. By calculating the cost of veterinary and animal necessities, students come to realize the expense of having a companion animal. They also learn dog bite prevention, cat and dog behavior, the importance of spay/neuter, and positive training reinforcements. Simply stated, students discover what it takes to become a good pet guardian.
Objective: Students will learn how to complete forms by answering questions and writing down their foster dog or cat’s information. They can also improve their reading comprehension skills by acquiring information from their ARF animal’s profile, using it to answer questions while learning about the needs of companion animals.
Tasks: Students will become foster parents to a plush dog or a cat. Students are instructed to care for their animal for the entire program week and to imagine that the animal provided to them is real. If appropriate, the animal should go home with each child every evening and return to class each day in the carrier provided to him or her. They will also complete an ARF Cat/Dog Foster Information Sheet, learning about their animal and caring for dogs and cats.
Homework Activities: Students may complete a Pet Log, make entries in their Pet Journal, or fill out their Pet Supply List if not completed in class.
Objective: To teach students how to use their math skills to calculate the cost of purchasing pet supplies as well as paying for veterinarian services. This helps students understand the expense and value of companion animals.
Tasks: Each student will use math and reading comprehension skills to estimate and calculate the cost of having a companion animal in his or her family, which includes pet supplies as well as standard veterinary care costs. Pet supply store and veterinary catalogs are provided.
Homework Activities: Students may complete a Pet Log and make entries in their Pet Journal.
Objective: The goal of the day is for students to understand the correct way to approach a dog, read animal body language and understand the animal’s needs. The children will also learn about dog bite prevention and gain a greater appreciation and understanding of animals and how they communicate with us.
Tasks: The instruction will include the proper way to approach dogs in a variety of situations. The class will discuss proper and humane ways to treat all animals. Classwork will also include how to read canine body language and how to understand what the dog is telling us.
Homework Activities: Students may complete a Pet Log, make entries in their Pet Journal, or answer the questions on “Steps to Approaching a Dog” form.
Objective: Today’s goal is to learn about cat body language and to understand how to meet, greet, and hold cats. Again, the goal is a greater understanding of our companion animals and how they communicate with us. Discussions will include humane methods of modifying their animal’s behavior.
Tasks: The instruction will include the proper way to approach cats in a variety of situations. Classwork will also include how to read feline body language and how to understand what the cat is telling us. Instruction will also include subjects such as the dangers to outdoor cats, why cats need their claws and how to positively re-direct scratching behavior.
Homework Activities: Students may complete a Pet Log and make entries in their Pet Journal.
Objectives: To help children understand the responsibilities of pet guardianship. To consider that people and animals have similar needs. Students will review topics of the past week and ultimately whether to adopt the animal that they have been fostering.
Tasks: Children will complete an Adoption Application Form, answer questions about the future care of their ARF animal and whether or not this is an appropriate animal for their family and their activities. They will then read aloud the ARF Adoption Agreement with the instructor and promise to do all they’re asked to properly care for this animal. They will sign and keep the ARF Adoption Agreement.
Homework Activities: Students will promise to care responsibly for this animal for the rest of his or her life!
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