Bel Air, Maryland – With the support of a $10,000 grant from the Pet Care Trust, the American Federation of Aviculture (AFA) has completed the development of its Fundamentals of Aviculture Level II online course.  This course, along with the Level I course, are designed to provide the basics of avian physiology and care.  According to Rick Jordan of the AFA, “The course takes the student for an ‘educational journey’ through the scientific study of birds, including their classifications, idiosyncrasies, and all the things that make birds so interesting to us.”

Jordan explains that the Fundamentals of Aviculture classes are designed to fill the gap between available scientific data and much needed hands-on education of how to care for, breed or just enjoy birds.  “Pet owners, bird breeders, veterinary assistants and veterinarians alike have applauded the Fundamentals of Aviculture courses,” Jordan says.  “Whether a student is new to bird keeping or is a seasoned avian enthusiast, there is something for everyone built into the course structure.”  The Level II class and subsequent levels still in the planning stages expand the curriculum from concentrating mostly on parrots to including many other classes and families of birds.

The AFA Level I curriculum has been approved for continuing education credits for veterinarians and veterinary technicians, and the Level II course is expected to receive the same designation.

In January 2010 the Pet Care Trust followed up previous funding support of the AFA Level I curriculum with a supporting grant of $10,000 to the AFA.  Jordan says, “Our partnership with the Pet Care Trust has resulted in an affordable online education series that will improve and enrich the lives of pet birds.”

The Pet Care Trust is a non-profit, charitable, public foundation that is instrumental in the sponsorship of programs supporting companion animal welfare and the benefits of owning companion pets as well as the development of educational programs demonstrating the importance of responsible companion animal ownership. The Pet Care Trust funds deserving programs through supporting grants awarded annually to non-profit organizations.  In addition, through their Pets in the Classroom program, in 2010 the Pet Care Trust awarded 2066 grants to public and private school teachers in grades Pre-K through 6th grade to support pets in the learning environment.

Contact:
To sign up: http://www.fundamentalsofaviculture.com
Course Admin Email: foatech@earthlink.net
Contact AFA: afaoffice@afabirds.org

The following article was printed in the May edition of Pet Business, a magazine and online publication.  Thank you to Pet Business for publishing the article!  We hope the article will give you a more in depth understanding of the Pets in the Classroom Grant program, not only from the perspective of The Pet Care Trust, but also from the perspective of teachers and people within the pet industry.

Building Future Pet Owners

By Steve King, President, PIDA

Published: May 1, 2011

The Pet Care Trust’s Pets in the Classroom program has made great strides in exposing children to the joys of pet ownership, but more help is needed from retailers.

For Immediate Release:

Pets in the Classroom Program Sets Goal of Reaching 1 Million Children

Bel Air, Maryland – April 20, 2011

The Pet Care Trust announced that they have targeted reaching 1 million children in 30,000 classrooms across North America through their popular Pets in the Classroom grants program.  The program, established by the Pet Care Trust in 2009, provides grants of $100-$150 to purchase or adopt a new pet and required equipment or $50 to support existing classroom pets.

Steve King, Executive Director of the Pet Care Trust, says the program has had a powerful impact in elementary school classrooms throughout North America. In just one year the program has awarded grants to nearly 3,000 classrooms, giving up to 90,000 kids the opportunity to interact with a pet every day.  “The feedback we are receiving from teachers is overwhelmingly positive,” King says.  “At a time when school budgets are being slashed nationwide, Pets in the Classroom allows teachers to provide valuable enrichment activities through a classroom pet of their choosing.”

Sixth grade teacher Susan Dougherty-Fitzpatrick expressed her appreciation for the program, explaining, “This year, our entire fifth grade of over 150 students was allowed to learn about tree frogs and hermit crabs in our unit, ‘Systems and Survival’. Without your help and support, we would not have been able to undertake such a project and cannot thank you enough.”

The Pets in the Classroom program benefits students by teaching them responsible, long-term pet care at an early age and providing the psychological and developmental benefits associated with the human-animal bond.  Studies have shown that caring for pets has a positive effect on children, improving school attendance and teaching children responsibility, as well as encouraging nurturing and building self esteem.  Pets in the Classroom grant recipients confirm that having a classroom pet has a big impact on their students. “My students are learning how to be responsible care takers and the best of all, my very shy student and English language learners are talking now!” says Mrs. Johnson, a first grade teacher from Kentucky.

In the first year, approximately one-third of the funding has gone to freshwater aquariums. Another one-third has funded small animals, such as guinea pigs, rabbits and hamsters. Reptiles, amphibians and birds comprise the final one-third, with snakes, lizards, turtles and frogs most popular.

For more information, please visit www.petsintheclassroom.org and view a video documenting the impact of the Pets in the Classroom program at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGtQdRUyWrI.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PETS IN THE CLASSROOM PROGRAM AWARDED $10,000 GRANT BY H.H. BACKER ASSOCIATES INC.

Bel Air, Maryland – March 14, 2011

The Pet Care Trust’s Pets in the Classroom program has received a grant of $10,000 from H.H. Backer Associates Inc.  H.H. Backer Associates Inc. is a leader in the pet industry, specializing in trade publications, trade shows and educational conferences.

Pet Care Trust Executive Director Steven King expressed appreciation for the funding from H.H. Backer: “We are excited about the generous support from H.H. Backer, which will allow us to build on the incredible growth our program experienced in 2010, and reach even more teachers and classrooms in 2011.”

King said that H.H. Backer is well-known in the pet industry for its support of education for industry professionals, and he is pleased that the company recognizes the significance of the Pets in the Classroom mission.

The Pets in the Classroom program benefits students by teaching them responsible, long-term pet care at an early age and providing the psychological and developmental benefits associated with the human-animal bond.  Studies have shown that caring for pets has a positive effect on children, improving school attendance and teaching children responsibility, as well as encouraging nurturing and building self-esteem.

“I value the Pets in the Classroom program tremendously,” said Patty Backer, president of H.H. Backer. “I think it’s very important for children to interact with animals for a number of reasons. It teaches responsibility and concern for another being through teamwork, feeding, shelter and care.”

Backer also noted that the Pets in the Classroom program offers unique opportunities for children. “In this day of technology, it is even more vital that our children have the opportunity to learn about animals in such an interactive way. Simply, being with pets make people better people,” she said.

The Pets in the Classroom program was established by the Pet Care Trust in 2009 to assist teachers in obtaining or maintaining classroom pets. In 2010, 2,066 grants were awarded to teachers across the United States and Canada through a simple online application process. The ultimate goal of the program is to reach 30,000 classrooms and impact 1 million children.  For more information, please visit www.petsintheclassroom.org.

Contact:

Steven T. King, CAE, Executive Director

The Pet Care Trust

443-640-1060 ext. 101

steve@ksgroup.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PETCO EXECUTIVE, RICHARD WILLIAMS, JOINS THE PET CARE TRUST BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Bel Air, Maryland – March, 2011

Richard Williams, Vice President, Aquatic and Reptile Business Leader for PETCO has joined the Board of Trustees of The Pet Care Trust in Bel Air, Maryland.  Williams joins current Trustees Lew Sutton, PetAg, Inc.; Brent Weinmann, Vitakraft; Kenneth Oh, J.W. Pet Company; Rob Chouinard, Gardner Distributing Co.; Steve Segner, LA Pet Food; and Mary Wyld, Wyld’s Wingdom, Inc.

With over 25 years in retail management and over ten years with PETCO, Williams brings valuable insights to the Pet Care Trust Board.  In 2003, Williams led PETCO’s newly formed Animal Care Department, creating policies, procedures and best practices around the care of PETCO’s animals.  Williams and Dr. Tom Edling created and implemented industry leading animal care practices for PETCO stores, vendors and customers.  More recently, Williams took on leadership of Live Animal Merchandising, as well as Companion Animal Supply Merchandising.  Williams is enthusiastic about joining the Pet Care Trust, saying, “I believe it is very important to educate kids on the fun and the responsibility of having a pet.  I have had pets my entire life and can’t imagine growing up without them.”  Williams welcomes the opportunity to become more involved in the Pet Care Trust’s efforts.

Pet Care Trust Board of Trustees President, Lew Sutton applauds the dedication to companion animals and their care that Williams has demonstrated throughout his career, and welcomes his input as a Trustee of the Pet Care Trust.  “Rich’s contribution to PETCO throughout his career clearly demonstrates his desire to promote the proper care of companion animals, educate consumers and elevate the standards of the pet industry,” Sutton said.  “Rich’s experience in the industry is invaluable, and we believe his personal ideals and those of PETCO mesh perfectly with the Pet Care Trust’s mission.”

The Pet Care Trust is a non-profit, charitable, public foundation that is instrumental in the sponsorship of programs supporting companion animal welfare and the benefits of owning companion pets as well as the development of educational programs demonstrating the importance of responsible companion animal ownership. The Pet Care Trust funds deserving programs through supporting grants awarded annually to non-profit organizations.  In addition, through their Pets in the Classroom program, in 2010 the Pet Care Trust awarded 2066 grants to public and private school teachers in grades Pre-K through 6th grade to support pets in the learning environment.

Contact:
Steven T. King, CAE
Executive Director
The Pet Care Trust
2105 Laurel Bush Rd., Suite 200
Bel Air, MD 21015
Phone: 443-640-1060 ext. 101
Fax: 443-640-1031
E-mail: steve@ksgroup.org
www.petcaretrust.org
www.petsintheclassroom.org

Pets in the Classroom, an educational grants program supporting responsible pet care for school classrooms, saw surprising growth in 2010. The program awarded 2,060 grants to teachers in 2010, its first full year of operation. With an average of 30 students per classroom, the program has brought pets into the lives of almost 62,000 children. Some of these children may have no other contact with a pet except in their classroom. In many cases, it could be the beginning of a lifelong interest in pets and pet care.

Sponsored by the Pet Care Trust, the goal of the Pets in the Classroom program is to establish healthy child-pet relationships at an early age by supporting responsible pet care in Kindergarten-6th Grade classrooms across the U.S. and Canada. Many school teachers have very limited resources for the support of classroom animals. The Pet Care Trust sponsors this program to help teachers purchase or maintain pets in the classroom through direct, no-hassle grants. The program leaves it up to the teacher to select the pet that is most appropriate for her/his classroom. There have been a wide variety of funding requests, from snakes and lizards to guinea pigs and rabbits, proving that many different species provide interesting classroom companions.

As of December, 2010, 2,066 certificates were granted totaling nearly $264,000. The program’s initial goal for the year of 700 grant requests was far exceeded. Pets in the Classroom has funded the following classroom pet requests:

Aquariums- 761

Reptiles- 435

Small Animals- 737

Birds- 93

Sustaining- 40 (These grants help teachers who already have a classroom pet with food and supplies).

The program hopes to fund an additional 2,000 classroom grants in 2011. All funding for Pets in the Classroom has come from the Pet Care Trust endowment. As the program expands to reach more elementary school classrooms across the country, the program will rely on direct financial support from the pet industry. Pets in the Classroom welcomes support from corporate and individual donors through tax deductible contribution to the Pet Care Trust. Visit the Trust website today at petcaretrust.org.

Check out www.Petsintheclassroom.org. “Pets in the Classroom” is a grant program that gives teachers up to $150 for pets and pet supplies for the classroom. They also provide information on what pets are good options for the classroom.

The Pet Care Trust’s Pets in the Classroom program was selected by the Crazy Pet Children’s Foundation to receive a grant of $5,000. The Crazy Pet foundation offers grants twice yearly to other non-profit organizations that operate pet-child programs.

Pet Care Trust Executive Director Steven King expressed appreciation for the funding from the Crazy Pet foundation, “We are honored to have our program recognized as a deserving non-profit by the Crazy Pet Children’s Foundation. We hope to build on the incredible growth our program experienced in 2010, and reach even more teachers and classrooms in 2011. Support from organizations like the Crazy Pet foundation will allow us to serve even more teachers and students nationwide, providing the educational and psychological benefits of having a classroom pet.”

The Crazy Pet Children’s Foundation awards grants to educational programs that are consistent with the organization’s “Back Bones of Character™” criteria. The Back Bones of Character, “Be Caring, Contribute, Have Courage, Be Dependable, Be Fair, and Have Respect” are character values developed by children in the process of caring for pets, and become a part of their values for life.

Crazy Pet Foundation founder Tony de Vos explains that the goal of the organization is to raise awareness of the benefits that interacting with pets has on the development of a child’s character and capacity to empathize with and care for others. As part of its mission, the foundation is dedicated to promoting the child-pet bond both in the home and at school. The Pets in the Classroom program clearly supports this mission.

The Pets in the Classroom program, an educational grants program, was established by the Pet Care Trust in 2009 to assist teachers in obtaining or maintaining classroom pets. In 2010, 2,066 grants were awarded to teachers. The ultimate goal of the program is to reach 30,000 classrooms and impact one-million children. The Pets in the Classroom program benefits students by teaching them responsible, long-term pet care at an early age and providing the psychological and developmental benefits associated with the human-animal bond. Studies have shown that caring for pets has a positive effect on children, improving school attendance and teaching children responsibility, as well as encouraging nurturing and building self esteem.

The Pet Care Trust recognizes that teachers often have limited resources to enhance their classrooms and curriculum. Through a simple, online application process at www.petsintheclassroom.org teachers can become eligible to receive grants of $50 to support existing classroom pets, or $100-$150 to purchase or adopt a new pet and required equipment. The program has responded to over 2,000 teacher requests in the past year, and will continue to fund grants on a rolling basis.

BEL AIR, MD, January 20, 2011  The Pet Care Trust is pleased to announce that they have awarded a grant of $5,000 to Children’s Hospital Boston, in support of the pediatric hospital’s dog visitation program. The grant will support the research project entitled, “Parent and Child Perspectives on Dog Visitation in a Pediatric Hospital,” providing much needed funding for completion of the project. The project follows the Pet Care Trust’s mission: the value of companion pets, the human animal bond, and support companion animal programs.

The dog visitation program has been operating successfully at Children’s Hospital Boston since 2003. “It’s a really fantastic program,” explains Laura Veit, research assistant on the project. “It’s a small program in the hospital and it’s only one of many offerings that the hospital provides for children and families, but we really think that dogs have a unique way of bringing smiles into the environment.” Veit says that the dogs brighten the days of everyone from staff to parents to patients. “The dogs aren’t judgmental, they’re not going to be providing any medical care, they’re not going to be giving shots or anything like that, and they don’t care about what’s going on with the children and what they look like or what might be different,” Veit says of the special way that dogs bring unconditional love to the hospital’s pediatric in-patient units.

The program usually has 10 to 12 dog and handler teams operating on a continuous basis. Each team commits to twice-monthly visits of sixty to ninety minutes, and teams visit virtually all of the pediatric hospital’s units, with the exception of the ICU. The program accepts dog that are certified by therapy dog organizations or that hold their Canine Good Citizen designation, and the program conducts their own specialized training and orientation.

It’s evident to those who have seen firsthand the positive impact the dog and handler teams have on everyone they visit that the program has been a success, but the research project will provide valuable evidence to the hospital. Veit says that another goal of the project is to establish best-practices for the program and for other hospitals who may want to start a similar visitation program. “We’re videotaping visits and are hoping to put together examples of what happens during dog visits and maybe be able to pull some best practices out of that,” Veit explains. The research project, now with almost sixty patient participants, also gathers data through pre- and post-visit questionnaires to parents and patients.

Veit says that thanks to the support received from the Pet Care Trust, the research team can complete the videotaping process as well as the analysis of the data collected. “We want to improve our program and prove to the hospital that what we do really does help,” Veit says. “But we really would like to set ourselves up as a best practice program and help other programs that are getting started or help them improve their program in any way and we’re hoping that [this grant] allows us to do that.”

The Pet Care Trust is a non-profit, charitable public foundation established in 1990. The Trust’s mission is to promote humane and responsible care and treatment of companion animals; to focus national attention on the important and vital role which responsible companion pet ownership places within society; to provide funding for pet research, special projects and education programs; to improve animal health and welfare; to support the human animal bond and interactions; to assist the public understanding of the role of the pet industry.

The Pet Care Trust’s Pets in the Classroom program was selected as one of two non-profit organizations to receive funds raised at the annual SuperZoo pet retailers’ trade show held recently in Las Vegas, NV. The three-day industry trade show hosted more than 10,000 attendees, attracting exhibitors and attendees from around the world with unique trade show features such as SuperZoo University, new product awards and Rescue Roundup, which benefits local Las Vegas animal welfare organizations. Pets in the Classroom and the Canine Cancer Foundation were chosen as the recipients of over $13,000 raised at the first year charity event sponsored by the E.T. Horn Company.

Pet Care Trust board member Steve Segner expressed the appreciation of the Pet Care Trust for the generosity of SuperZoo attendees, “We are honored to have our program recognized as a deserving non-profit by the World Pet Association, and are appreciative of the generosity of all of the attendees who showed their support by donating at this wonderful event. These funds will allow the Pets in the Classroom to serve even more teachers and students nationwide, providing the educational and psychological benefits of having a classroom pet.”

The Pets in the Classroom program was established by the Pet Care Trust in 2009 to assist teachers in obtaining or maintaining classroom pets. The Pets in the Classroom program benefits students by teaching them responsible, long-term pet care at an early age and providing the psychological and developmental benefits associated with the human-animal bond. Studies have shown that caring for pets has a positive effect on children, improving school attendance and teaching children responsibility, as well as encouraging nurturing and building self esteem.

The Pet Care Trust recognizes that teachers often have limited resources to enhance their classrooms and curriculum. Through a simple, online application process at www.petsintheclassroom.org teachers can become eligible to receive grants of $50 to support existing classroom pets, or $100-$150 to purchase or adopt a new pet and required equipment. The program has responded to over 1,000 teacher requests this year, and will continue to fund grants on an ongoing basis.