The Battlefords Humane Society shelter director Michelle Spark says it's important for school children to learn how to be safe around stray dogs and even their own dogs.
This week they will begin presentations in some of the community's schools and she's hoping others will contact the shelter to arrange for sessions, especially before the end of the school year.
The program, called Be A Tree, focuses on fun and interactive activities to teach children how to read dog body language and how to act safely around their own dog and strange dogs. It is part of the Doggone Safe organization's mission to promote education initiatives for the purpose of dog bite prevention and increased child safety around dogs and to provide support for dog bite victims.
Spark said there was a recent incident at a local school where a stray dog came on to the playground, and wanting to play, knocked four children down.
"They were crying and they were scared and with being scared there comes screaming and running, which compounds the problem," says Spark.
So the program teaches children how to be like a tree.
"Trees are boring, they don't move."
The program teaches children what to look for in body language, such as ears, tails, eyes, mouth, body posture and what they are doing, says Spark.
It also teaches them how to approach a strange dog someone is walking. They learn to use their mouth and ask first before doing anything.
It's important for them to know how to be safe not just around strange dogs but around their own dogs, too, says Spark.
"The reality is a lot of dog bites are from their own family pets."
Spark says the shelter had an incident this spring in which a dog came in that was being bullied by kids, actually hurt by kids.
"We had to amputate one of her legs," says Spark. "She's now a therapy dog for a special needs classroom in the school … she goes to school every day to teach kids about bullying and that being different is okay."
So teaching children about being safe around dogs is a multi educational thing, she says.
The Be A Tree program is free to schools and an appointment can be made by calling the shelter at 306-446-2700.
"It's a service to the community because we think education is important," says Spark.
In related news, the Town of Battleford has passed a resolution to commit $50,000 over a five-year period toward a new shelter building.
