Dog educator on case

MANAWATU District Council’s new dog education contractor, Pam Mills, is looking forward to spreading the word about canine care to children as well as their parents.

Mrs Mills has taken over from former presenter, Helen Wylie, who recently retired after running the “Doggy Dos and Don’ts” animal management programme since its introduction three years ago.

A former primary school teacher, Mrs Mills said there was a definite need for such a programme and an ongoing awareness on how to keep children safe around dogs.

“It is important, because if you can prevent one child being bitten, then that’s a success.”

Mrs Mills is sending out letters to all schools in the district outlining the content and availability of the free programme that teaches children on what may cause a dog to attack or bite and how to avoid that happening. It also provides information on responsible dog ownership.

“There are some good teaching aids involved and a take-home pack is a chance to increase awareness among parents,” she said. “A similar programme for adults may also help.”

Senior Environmental Officer, Colin Perrin, said many hundreds of children in the district had received the programme, with positive feedback from schools ranging through “user friendly” and “valuable” to “involving” and “relevant”.

“It’s a good learning tool for children and their parents and we want to make schools aware of this opportunity and for them to try and fit the programme into their curriculum,” he said.

MDC is one of only a few rural councils in New Zealand to offer the programme.