PRO ANIMALS

“OPEN YOUR HEART” - school education programme

In the belief that the CHILD FROM TODAY MAY BECOME THE RESPONSIBLE ADULT FROM TOMORROW we decided to start an education programme here at the primary schools from Tg-Jiu. We are all aware that the most important thing in a community, in order to change mentalities and ideas,is the education.

 The faith of an animal depends on humans, on the people’s education and attitude. Taking into account the fact that in Romania all this are very precarious and the big majority of animals have a sad destiny because of this, we intend to start an educational programme to give emphasis and to make people understand that animals make part of our lives, that we must learn to accept them as sentient beings, with their own feeling and needs and give them the respect and kindness they deserve. Animals can have a positive effect on our health and behaviour, can have a lot of benefits if we are enough open-minded to let them close to us. We are trying to teach them how to help to create a more responsible and humane community.

 "The grateness of a nation and its moral progress can be measures by the way in which animals are treated"          Mahatma Ghandi

We started this programme in February 2007 at several schools from Tg-Jiu after signing an official protocol of cooperation.

For developing of this programme the Association used informative materials , brochures, leaflets, video-presentation, trying to inform pupils and become more responsible, concerning animal protection. Through the real images that we presented, pupils were informed about our brochure “Open your heart!” and the principal items: importance of dogs neutering- the only humane and efficient method for reducing the stray dogs-, what means de-warming, de-fleas, vaccination against rabies, cruelty cases and how we can solve its, about the law into force for animal’s protection and punishments for illegalities.

We used different methods for children to understand the problems that we presented, like: schemes, analogies, verbal explanations beside the other materials.

We have explain this terms because are new for their age and by the other side are very important for the future because this child from today will become, the responsible adult from tomorrow. In this way we hope that will be more less cruelty cases, abuses and the people will become more responsible.

We discussed different problems trying to have an interactive course, the pupils were active and interested, they told us about their pets and their responsibilities; they were make posters, draws having different themes concerning the animals and also the most important about stray dogs problem and solutions for stop increasing their number.

After the four hours spent together,we gave children a form to fill in at home, with questions discussed in each hour the children They realized hundreds of drawings, about adoption, neutering, anti-cruelty etc.

They realized hundreds of drawings, about adoption, neutering, anti-cruelty etc.We had also nice surprises from part of the pupils, because few posters realized by them, were been put to the walls of their schools offering a good example to their teacher and to another persons.

After a period of 4 hours spent at each class during 2 weeks, there came the day of offering them prizes for their participation, for their drawings and answers. We offered them diplomas, badges, supports for their keys, all personalized with photos of our dogs association.

They were very anxious to see what prizes they received, waiting in their place,

The pupils told about this programmme to another mates and friends from the other schools and also to their parents and grand-parents , discussing in this way some problems and maybe they will change the mentality about cruelty cases, abandons, neutering.

Childrens at the end of the programme, holding the brochure

When we visited them for re-warding their work and behavior we received help by one of our hundreds of dogs ,named DOLLY, de-warm ,de-fleas and vaccinated ; was a huge surprise for the pupils, they were make photos and they found out DOLLY’ s story.

Local press wrote about our programme :

This kind of programme is the first in our Gorj county, we had good results in 2007, and we hope that in 2008 will be much better with a lot of achievements. Hoping that together we will build a community more responsible and humane!