The Humane Society for Southwest Washington shelters between 10,000 and 13,000 homeless and abused animals every year but the work we do for the animals and our community extends far beyond the doors of our animal shelter. Through our Humane Education and Outreach programs, we help raise awareness about local and national animal welfare issues and use hands-on, engaging programming to foster a well-educated community that strives to treat all animals with compassion and respect.
We offer a variety of Humane Education and Outreach programs, many of which utilize very special animal ambassadors; so that we may best accommodate the needs of our community. From early childhood programs to summer camps, classroom presentations and facility tours, our programs are designed to engage participants while reinforcing lessons of compassion, kindness and respect.
Please take a moment to read through the current Humane Education and Outreach offerings below. Because our programs vary seasonally, be sure to check back frequently for updated information about our programs and services.
If you have a question regarding our Humane Education and Outreach programs, email us.
For toddlers ages 3-5 and their parents/guardians. Programs introduce participants to basic Humane Education themes while promoting development and social interaction skills. Each program focuses on a different theme and includes and story, craft or other activity and a live animal encounter. All programs are offered from 10:00am to 11:00am at the Humane Society's Animal Shelter in East Vancouver (unless otherwise noted below).
$5.00 per parent/child pair
$2.00 for additional child
Limited to 15 child/adult pairs. Registration preferred. Call 360.213.2630 to register.
Monday - September 13th
Krazy Kitties
Summer months brought us kittens! Dress your toddlers up as cute little kitties with a kitty mask craft before meeting a very special shelter resident.
Friday - September 24th
Pet Pals
Learn about what kind of animals make good pets. Explore the basic needs of animals and help your toddler express their knowledge through a craft activity before meeting a very special shelter resident.
Friday - October 8th
Animal Doctors
Explore the world of animal medicine with your toddler and play shelter doctor before meeting a special shelter resident. Participants are encouraged to bring a stuffed animal friend from home for the class activity.
Monday - October 18th
Animal Safety is Fun!
Learning valuable safety skills will be fun for both parent and child in this interactive class focused on safe interactions with animals. Participants will put their new skills to use while meeting a very special shelter resident.
Friday - November 5th
Playful Pups
This class has gone to the dogs! Learn all about man’s best friend and
safe ways for your toddler to interact with those lovable canines.
Enjoy a dog related story and craft before meeting a very special
canine companion.
Monday - November 15th
Who am I?
What noise does a frog make? What do feathers feel like? Participants will have fun using all their senses to explore different types of animals before meeting a very special feathered friend.
There are no Little Critters Programs scheduled for December. Happy Holidays!
Programs for Animal Crusaders
For kids ages 6-10. Programs use hands-on, interactive activities to teach participants about animal related topics and promote kindness and compassion. Each program focuses on a different Humane Education theme and may include a combination of craft, activity, guest presentation and live animal encounter. All programs are conducted at the Humane Society's Animal Shelter in east Vancouver, unless otherwise noted.
Parents are welcome to attend with their child. Those parents choosing to drop off their child will be required to adhere to a security check in/out process.
$6.00 per child, $2.00 for additional child
$4.00 for Kids’ Club Members
Registration preferred. Call 360.213.2630 to register.
Sunday - September 19th, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Rabbits, Rodents and Reptiles
Did you know that rats can learn tricks, or that hamsters can run up to 5 miles a day? There are many amazing companion animals besides dogs and cats. Come learn about which animals may or may not be great additions to your family and meet some very special animal ambassadors.
Sunday - October 23rd, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Junior Veterinarians
Explore the wonderful world of animal medicine and learn what you can do to prepare yourself for a career as a veterinarian before meeting a very special shelter resident.
Sunday - November 14th, 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Trainin' Canines
Get tips and tricks on how to successfully train your dog. Then, practice your techniques on each other before meeting a very special trick dog!
There are no Animal Crusader Programs scheduled for December. Happy Holidays!
Programs for Wild Explorers
For kids ages 11-14. Programs use hands-on, interactive activities to promote kindness and compassion. Wild Explorers participate in various enrichment activities with animals at the Humane Society. All interactions with animals are supervised and activities vary depending on the current population of animals housed at the shelter.
Parents dropping off their child will be required to adhere to a security check in/out process.
$6.00 per child, $2.00 for additional child
$4.00 for Kids’ Club Members
Registration preferred. Call 360.213.2630 to register.
Sunday - September 19th, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Sunday - October 23rd, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
Sunday - November 14th, 1:30pm - 3:00pm
There are no Wild Explorer Programs scheduled for December. Happy Holidays!
Humane Society Summer Critter Camps
Furry Friends Critter Camp
For kids entering 3rd and 4th grade
Summer 2011 Dates TBA
Campers will be introduced to a wide variety of animal related topics including dog safety, responsible pet ownerships, animal training, veterinary practices and an exploration of animal related careers. Critter camp combines games, activities, guest speakers and animal interactions to help foster kindness and compassion and promote civic responsibility and environmental stewardship. Camp registration fee includes healthy snacks but campers must bring their own lunch. All campers will receive a Critter Camp t-shirt.
$150.00 per child
$125.00 for Kids’ Club Members
Extended care is offered from 9-10am and from 3-4pm for an additional $12 per day or $50 for the entire week of camp. Critter camps are conducted by Humane Society staff and volunteers. The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is not a licensed day care provider.
Registration will begin in May 2011. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis and is not confirmed until full payment is received. Camp sessions are limited to 15 campers.
Animal Adventures Critter Camp
For kids entering 5th and 6th grade
Session 1: Summer 2011 Dates TBA
Session 2: Summer 2011 Dates TBA
Registration limited to one week per camper only.
Campers will be introduced to a wide variety of animal related topics including dog safety, responsible pet ownerships, animal training, veterinary practices and an exploration of animal related careers. Critter camp combines games, activities, guest speakers and animal interactions to help foster kindness and compassion and promote civic responsibility and environmental stewardship. Camp registration fee includes healthy snacks but campers must bring their own lunch. All campers will receive a Critter Camp t-shirt.
$150.00 per child
$125.00 for Kids’ Club Members
Extended care is offered from 9-10am and from 3-4pm for an additional $12 per day or $50 for the entire week of camp. Critter camps are conducted by Humane Society staff and volunteers. The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is not a licensed day care provider.
Registration will begin in May 2011. Registration is on a first-come-first-served basis and is not confirmed until full payment is received. Camp sessions are limited to 15 campers.
Humane Society Kids' Club
Calling all Kids! The Humane Society for Southwest Washington has a new and exclusive Kids’ Club designed especially for kids ages 6-14. Becoming a Kids’ Club member is a fun and exciting way to learn about animals - from responsible pet ownership to wild and exotic creatures. The Humane Society Kids’ Club helps kids build a foundation of knowledge and promotes kindness and compassion.
A one-time membership fee of $25.00 includes the following:
An Official Kids’ Cub T-shirt
An Official Fun Pack Loaded with Cool Kids’ Club Items
Discounted Admission to Humane Society Education Programs
To register for the Humane Society Kids’ Club, download the registration form or call us at 360.213.2630.
Programs for classrooms
Be Doggone Safe! Classroom Presentations
The Be Doggone Safe program introduces elementary school students (grades K-5) to the safe and respectful way to meet and interact safely with dogs. With the assistance of temperament approved therapy animals, the program incorporates written, oral, modeling and kinesthetic teaching practices to engage children and facilitate an active learning environment that helps promote safe humane-animal interactions. Programs are conducted in the classroom or school assembly space, are age-appropriate and typically last 45 minutes to 1 hour. Scheduling is on a first-come-first-served basis and may vary seasonally.
The Be Doggone Safe program is offered free of charge but donations are greatly appreciated (for a list of greatly needed donation items, please check our shelter wish list).
To request a Be Doggone Safe program for your classroom, please call our Humane Education and outreach team at 360.241.7152.
Read to the Dogs
The Read to the Dogs program utilizes Pet Facilitated Therapy animals to provide a calm and fun learning environment for school aged children in the height of developing their reading skills (typically grades 1-3 but opportunities for higher grades are available). Our therapy animals visit with students in the classroom or resource/library area and provide a patient, understanding and non-judgmental outlet for kids to practice their reading skills. Our therapy animals are a patient and forgiving audience and do not care if students stammer or pronounce words incorrectly. The Read to the Dogs program encourages each student to practice reading freely, openly and confidently.
The Read to the Dogs program is scheduled on a case-by-case basis and is dependent on the schedules of our Pet Facilitated Therapy volunteers. Visits are typically scheduled on an ongoing basis for the duration of the school year. The Read to the Dogs program is offered free of charge but donations are greatly appreciated (for a list of greatly needed donation items, please check our shelter wish list).
To request a Read to the Dogs program for your classroom, please call our Humane Education and outreach team at 360.241.7152.
Shelter Tours
Behind-the-Scenes shelter tours are perfect for scout troops, school groups, community organizations or anyone who wants to learn more about the day-to-day operations of a high volume animal shelter. Tour groups visit both public and non-public areas of our 30,000 square foot facility and have the opportunity to interact with some of the shelter’s very special residents. Tours cover the history, goals and mission of the Humane Society and give participants a true perspective on sheltering homeless and abused animals.
All tours are conducted on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday between the hours of 1pm and 3pm. Tours last approximately 30-45 minutes depending on the age and size of the tour group.
Tour groups are limited to a minimum of 4 people and a maximum of 15 (including chaperones). Groups larger than 15 individuals will need to schedule separate tours. To help ensure a quality learning environment, we ask that there is 1 adult chaperone per 5 children under the age of 18..
Because we are a non-profit organization, we ask that each tour group provides a donation to the Humane Society in the amount of $5.00 per person (including chaperones) which helps support the animals and provide for further Humane Education and Outreach Programs.
Ready to take a tour? Please call our Humane Education and Outreach team at 360.241.7152. Requests for tours are not guaranteed. An animal shelter is a very dynamic environment and we do our best to accommodate the needs of each group. Tours must be scheduled at least 2 weeks in advance and walk-ins are not accommodated.
Adult Lecture Series
The Humane Society for Southwest
Washington is proud to announce it's new Adult Lecture Series. Offered the fourth Thursday of every month, the Adult Lecture Series provides a forum for
community members to expand their knowledge base while meeting professional
leaders in animal welfare, veterinary medicine, wildlife studies, environmental
conservation and more.
The Adult Lecture Series is a free community resource and all
lectures are held at the Education and Community room at the Humane Society for
Southwest Washington: 1100 NE 192nd Avenue, Vancouver 98684. Registration is not required. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.
Thursday, September 23rd - 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Clark County Animal Control hosts a question and answer session. Learn more about Animal Control services and regulations, especially the importance of licensing your pets.
Thursday, October 28th - 6:30pm - 7:30pm
The Bird Lady, Marilu Anderson, discusses the benefits and responsibilities of having exotic birds as companion animals. Meet some of Marilu's special bird ambassadors and find out if birds are the right pets for your family.
There are no Adult Lecture Series scheduled for November and December. Happy Holidays!
