What is Australian Veterinary Association's PetPEP?
AVA PetPEP stands for “Pets and People Education Program.”
The Australian Veterinary Association (AVA) has developed this Primary School education program, which is implemented across Australia in Prep to Year Seven classrooms. This is an excellent child and teacher-friendly program and is accredited by Education Queensland.
RSPCA Qld endorses and sponsors AVA PetPEP.
What does AVA PetPEP do?
AVA PetPEP brings together teachers, school children, vets, vet nurses, local councils, DPI&F and the RSPCA to help children learn important lessons about responsible pet care.
The program teaches responsible pet ownership through the following six topics-
· Behaving safely around pets
· Being responsible for a pet
· Caring for your pet’s health
· Choosing the right pet
· Preparing for a pet
· Treating all animals well
Who brings all these people together?
AVA PetPEP has its own team of education staff Amanda Pollard is AVA PetPEP’s Education Officer and is a qualified teacher and Wendy Humphrey is the Administration Assistant handling the bookings process.
Amanda and Wendy link local AVA PetPEP vet practices to their community school. Vets and vet nurses are very happy to visit schools to deliver important messages on pet care and animal health.
Many local councils are involved in the program throughout Queensland. When a council becomes part of AVA PetPEP, an official launch is held. Representatives from schools in their area are invited to attend and receive a free copy of the AVA PetPEP Teacher’s Resource Pack.
The RSPCA fully endorses the AVA PetPEP program and delivers presentations at AVA PetPEP School Visits.
How does AVA PetPEP work in schools?
AVA PetPEP works in the following two ways-
1. Teachers Resource Pack
Firstly, teachers can use the AVA PetPEP Teacher’s Resource Pack including the Teacher’s Resource Book and Interactive CD ROM to educate students about responsible pet care. The resource book has been written by teachers and vets and is divided into sections for lower, middle and upper primary year levels. It contains worksheets, activities, black line masters and industry contacts. It is an ideal resource when teaching a unit on pets, animals or community members and can be used to integrate messages across other curriculum areas. The interactive CD ROM compliments these activities.
2. AVA PetPEP School Visits
Secondly, your school could host an AVA PetPEP School Visit where a variety of guest speakers from the animal care profession are available to visit classrooms to discuss responsible pet ownership with students.
· Vets and vet nurses are able to discuss topics such as caring for your pet’s health, selecting an appropriate pet, safety around animals and the role of vets/nurses in the community.
· Animal control officers from your local council are able to discuss the local laws involved with owning a pet in your community and the role of the council in managing animal related problems.
· In some areas, RSPCA and DPI&F Education Staff are able to visit to discuss issues such as animal welfare, prevention of cruelty to animals and the roles of these organisations in the community.
The AVA PetPEP Team assists teachers in the organisation of these visits. At an AVA PetPEP School Visit students rotate through presentations given by a variety of guest speakers. Each presentation lasts between 20-30 minutes. Teachers and students find AVA PetPEP School Visits valuable as they instil messages from a variety of animal industry groups about the many aspects of responsible pet ownership.
How can I be part of AVA PetPEP?
For more information on how AVA PetPEP can help your school, e-mail the AVA PetPEP Education Team on petpepqld@ava.com.au or call on (07) 3423 1788.
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