March 3, 2012, Baia Mare. The Think Stray! team visited the "Emil Racovita" high school in Baia Mare ealier this week, and we are pleased to say that our meeting with the students and their teachers turned out to be a great success. The objectives of our visit were: (1) to distribute the education booklets donated by Romania Animal Rescue (USA) and generously sponsored by Mayhew Animal Home (UK), (2) to discuss about spaying and neutering as a humane and effective method to reduce stray animal population, (3) to sensitize the students to the issues of stray animals in the community and encourage adoptions, and (4) to update the students on the Think Stray campaign progress and on the generous support of partnering organizations.
We had an amazing response from the students and teachers alike, and they were all eager to be involved in discussions and ask questions.
Dr. Florin Lucaciu was there to talk about the benefits of spaying and neutering, and Mrs. Dana Orha from Salvati Animalele Baia Mare was there to answer all questions regarding adoptions and provide information about volunteering with us. Additionally, thanks to Mrs. Valeria Mic and Mrs. Dana Glodean, the high school principals who were extremely open to our ideas and suggestions, we were able to have Pink with us, a 6 month old rescued female dog. Aside from being an entertainer, Pink did a great job in helping students understand that the number of unwanted litters born or abandoned on the streets can be reduced only by spaying and neutering, and puppies like her will have a better chance to survive only if they are adopted.
Although we did not have the opportunity to address every student in the school, the participating students carried the booklets and the message from class to class and, as a consequence, we were asked to return the next day with more booklets for the kids who did not have the chance to receive one on the day of our visit.
Following our meeting with the high school students, many of them consider now spaying or neutering their pets (Dr. Lucaciu will provide low-cost spay/neuter services for their pets). From all the kids who do not have a pet yet, some contacted us with a real interest in adopting one, and some students informed us that they are now even more interested in becoming vets. Mrs. Adriana Florian -French teacher at Emil Racovita high school- who has the biggest contribution in implementing our campaign in her high school, will also organize several groups of students who will soon visit Dr. Lucaciu's clinic to see him at work and learn more both about the way we help animals and about what it means to be a vet.
"By bringing schools and animal welfare organisations closer together in order to support each other, our ultimate goal is to help transforming young people's views on the challenging issue of stray animals in Romania," Diana Topan, initiator of Think Stray! Animal Welfare Education Campaign said. "Through fun and interactive activities where teachers and students work together, our campaign will help students understand how human actions can affect animals, and encourage participants to develop and show attitudes of kindness, respect and responsibility towards animals."
We had an amazing response from the students and teachers alike, and they were all eager to be involved in discussions and ask questions.
Dr. Florin Lucaciu was there to talk about the benefits of spaying and neutering, and Mrs. Dana Orha from Salvati Animalele Baia Mare was there to answer all questions regarding adoptions and provide information about volunteering with us. Additionally, thanks to Mrs. Valeria Mic and Mrs. Dana Glodean, the high school principals who were extremely open to our ideas and suggestions, we were able to have Pink with us, a 6 month old rescued female dog. Aside from being an entertainer, Pink did a great job in helping students understand that the number of unwanted litters born or abandoned on the streets can be reduced only by spaying and neutering, and puppies like her will have a better chance to survive only if they are adopted.
Although we did not have the opportunity to address every student in the school, the participating students carried the booklets and the message from class to class and, as a consequence, we were asked to return the next day with more booklets for the kids who did not have the chance to receive one on the day of our visit. Following our meeting with the high school students, many of them consider now spaying or neutering their pets (Dr. Lucaciu will provide low-cost spay/neuter services for their pets). From all the kids who do not have a pet yet, some contacted us with a real interest in adopting one, and some students informed us that they are now even more interested in becoming vets. Mrs. Adriana Florian -French teacher at Emil Racovita high school- who has the biggest contribution in implementing our campaign in her high school, will also organize several groups of students who will soon visit Dr. Lucaciu's clinic to see him at work and learn more both about the way we help animals and about what it means to be a vet.
"By bringing schools and animal welfare organisations closer together in order to support each other, our ultimate goal is to help transforming young people's views on the challenging issue of stray animals in Romania," Diana Topan, initiator of Think Stray! Animal Welfare Education Campaign said. "Through fun and interactive activities where teachers and students work together, our campaign will help students understand how human actions can affect animals, and encourage participants to develop and show attitudes of kindness, respect and responsibility towards animals."
