A PET ADOPTION EVENT SPONSORED BY
ANIMAL CARE & CONTROL (AC&C) AND YOUR SCHOOL

WHAT? AC&C will bring 15 to 25 dogs and cats to your school for an adoption event, prior to which a group of your students, under the guidance of a staff member and AC&C's Humane Educator, will conduct extensive community outreach.

WHY? This program provides an extraordinary opportunity for your students to develop and refine their academic skills in an exciting and meaningful context, namely, finding homes for homeless animals. It is a team-building experience that connects students to the local community and empowers them with a sense of shared responsibility and validation. It is also an opportunity to experience an exciting, long-term goal come to fruition.

The varied activities completed by the students include,

• Layout and design of a flier / poster advertising the event.
  
• Writing letters to and meeting with local politicians and other community leaders informing them of the event.
• Creating a press release sent to local media.
• Presenting to students at their own school as well as other local schools about the issue of pet overpopulation and the adoption event.
• Coordinating and conducting a large-scale flier outreach initiative.
• Assist in the development of a fundraising plan to initiate as part of the adoption event.

In essence, this is a win-win collaboration for both your students and our animals!

HOW? AC&C has an established curricular framework to lead your students through this outreach process. Our Humane Educator who developed the curriculum was a NYC public high school teacher for eight years. All that is needed to commence this process is a committed staff member and five to ten dedicated students.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is Animal Care & Control (AC&C)?

AC&C is a non-profit organization responsible for running the NYC's municipal animal shelter system. Our goal is to find homes for the tens of thousands of animals who enter our facilities every year.

When will the event take place?

Adoption events usually take place on Saturdays or Sundays between the hours of 12:00 pm and 5:00 pm, (11:00 am -4:00 pm during the winter months). Weekends allows entire families to visit with the animals and make this important life decision in a leisurely context.

How will the animals be transported to our building?

AC&C will bring the animals to your school on the day of the event. We utilize a mobile pet adoption unit.

What type of animals will you bring to the school?

We will bring approximately 10 - 15 cats, and 8 - 10 dogs. All the animals will be our most gentle and well-behaved. They will all be spayed and neutered prior to the event and ready to be taken home on site.

Can animals be brought into the school?

Yes. NYC's Department of Education's Office of Youth Development (OYD) confirms that this is an in-house decision. You may contact Stacey at Office of Youth Development at 718-935-4357.

Have other schools participated in AC&C adoption events?

During the 2006 – 2007 school year AC&C partnered with five NYC public schools to hold adoption events: Canarsie High School, Millenium High School, Bronx Guild High School, High School of Fashion Industries, and Sheepshead Bay High School. All told, AC&C adopted 50 dogs and cats at these school pet adoption events! Our partnership with each school arose out of differing circumstances. Ten Canarsie High School students, who also volunteered at AC&C, engaged in public outreach for the event at their school. AC&C worked with two advisories at Millenium High School. Three Bronx Guild High School students worked on the adoption event for their school internship project. The community service clubs at HS of Fashion Industries and Sheepshead Bay HS were responsible for bringing this event to their schools.

Are there liability issues?

As with all our adoption events AC&C is liable for any injury (however unlikely) caused by an animal.

Who will supervise the event?

At least two AC&C staff members will be present at the event, our Humane Educator and Offsite Event Coordinator / Volunteer Captain. Various experienced AC&C volunteers will also be present to handle the animals. Students interested in handling the animals may participate in a training prior to the event.

What will the event look like?

The adoption unit (a large RV) will be parked in front of your school or in the school's parking lot. The public will have access to this bus to see some of the cats who are in cages within the bus. In your specified school space will be several long tables. These tables will hold the cages of other cats, while some of the tables will be used for administrative purposes, i.e., processing adoption paperwork. All animals will be individually attended to by AC&C staff and volunteers. The dogs will be on leashes at all times and walked by these experienced volunteers. The dogs will stand/sit in the specified school space. This space should have easy access to the outdoors as our volunteers may want at times to provide the dogs some exercise by walking them outside.

What is the first step?

A visit to the shelter will be arranged. Here the students can interact with some of the animals in our care and understand the problem of animal overpopulation firsthand. At this time, the framework for community outreach will be introduced to the students.

Who is the contact person for this event?

Matt Wildman, AC&C's Humane Educator, can be contacted at 646-235-8133 or via e-mail at mwildman@nycacc.org.