Companion Animal Education Program
Each year Blacktown City Council offers Schools and community groups the opportunity to participate in a Companion Animals Education Program
The program involves a presentation by one of Council’s Animal Services Officers who will provide the audience with an understanding of safe behaviour around animals, community issues, and the legal requirements of animal ownership as set out in accordance with the Companion Animal Act.
For schools, Council offers three related programs, each one designed to target different age groups for students from Kindergarten through to Year 12.
All programs are delivered in a style to cover the following learning groups.
- Visual Learners
- Auditory Learners
- Kinaesthetic Learners
Each program is designed to entertain and includes many strategies to achieve a positive learning experience. These programs can also be varied to suit individual groups with special needs.
Teaching aids include overheads, slides and animal stories and (subject to the school’s permission and availability) one of Council’s trained canines.
The courses encourage students to take an active role.
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Programs Available
Each program takes approximately one hour to deliver.
Level I - LETS BE SAFE WITH PETS
Designed to target kindergarten to Year 2.
This program is primarily designed to teach children of this age group how to be safe around pets.
Objective outcome:
Introduce and promote safety awareness with companion animals.
By the end of this presentation the participants will have.
- An understanding of an Animal Holding Facility.
- An understanding of being a responsible pet owner.
- An understanding of being a respectful pet owner.
- An understanding of being safe with pets.
Level II - RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP WITHIN THE COMMUNITY
Designed to target Year 3 to Year 6.
Reinforces principles of Level I and covers community issues to a pet owner or a non-pet owner.
Objective outcome:
Introduce and promote responsible pet ownership within the community.
By the end of this presentation the participants will have.
- An understanding of an Animal Holding Facility.
- An understanding of being safe with pets.
- An understanding of being a responsible pet owner within the community.
- Have an introduction to Companion Animals and the Law.
Level III - COMPANION ANIMALS AND THE LAW
Designed to target Year 7 to Year 12.
This program reinforces the principles set out in Levels I & II.
It goes a step further by introducing the students to the legal requirements of animal ownership as set out in the Companion Animal Act.
Objective outcome:
To promote responsible pet ownership within the community and introduce the Companion Animals Act.
- An understanding of an Animal Holding Facility.
- An understanding of being a responsible pet owner within the community.
- An understanding of Companion Animals and the Law.
For further information on this program please contact the Urban Animal Management Section at Blacktown City Council by telephone: 9839-6160 or on 9839-6161 between 8.00am and 3.00pm, Monday to Friday.