Season's Greetings!

To all our loyal blog readers, the RSPCA NSW Education Team just want to say thank you for following our amazing journey throughout 2011 and just you wait until 2021 hits- the Team has got some awesome things lined up for NSW!

We hope you've had a fantastic Christmas with your family, friends and animals and have a very HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Remember to keep the pets indoors during those fireworks displays!

Go Team Education!

It's HERE!

YEAH to the official start of the School Holidays today! And the excitement for the RSPCA NSW School Holiday Program is building with one date completely booked out!

Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to go behind the scenes at the largest animal shelter in the Southern Hemipshere!

Book your place today by calling 9782 4460 or email us at education@rspcansw.org.au

Curious in Campsie

The RSPCA NSW Education Team is just brimming with knowledge about almost every animal welfare issue you can imagine, so when Education Officer, Eva, met with a group of very curious kids in Campsie today, you can guess that it was a match made in heaven!

A discussion of dog safety brought up many stories from the kids when they encountered unknown dogs and they were glad to know what their plan of action is for next time it happens.

When the topic moved onto responsible pet ownership, the knowledge about identification for our cats and dogs were certainly lacking but after a demonstration of where a microchip is located amongst various other information, the kids were adamant they would find out whether their own pets were equipped with the correct identification!

If you think you know that you don't know something, then book the RSPCA NSW Education Team in to fill in the gaps! Contact us on 9782 4460 or education@rspcansw.org.au

If  I'm lost, will you know how to find me?
Kids in Campsie do!

Our reach out to Blacktown

Remember when we said the RSPCA NSW Education can be anywhere, at anytime? Well should you have passed Blacktown last Thursday night, you would have witnessed a fantastic celebration of youth, community and animal welfare. The Youth Off The Streets Blacktown Outreach Program has now had an 8 month relationship with the RSPCA NSW Education Team so it was a great opportunity to celebrate this milestone.

Community Education Manager, Claire and Education Officers, Steph and Eva, went along to mingle with the youth of Blacktown and discuss all things animal-related!

A special mention to Sharon, the mother of two teenagers, who successfully completed her Certificate II in Animal Studies and is moving onto Certificate III next year! Congratulations!

We'll see you next year Leah and Sharon
and all the YOTS kids!

Save the fun for 'Save the Children'!

The RSPCA NSW Education Team has already hit the Inner City Save the Children Christmas Party this week and what a success it was! But more fun was had on Wednesday in Villawood at the Inner West get together.

Community Education Manager, Claire, and Education Officer, Eva, brought animal-themed Christmas cheer to the parents and kids in the way of hand-drawn animal Christmas cards and posters for the kids to go colour crazy! Max, the Education mascot, was again the star attraction and everyone that approached him learned the best way to meet a dog for the first time.

Not to be outshined by Max, cute critters from the Taronga Zoo Mobile Bus were on hand to educate the crowd on the secret lives of some of our native wildlife. Claire practically fell in love with Duke the Tortoise (see their candid shot below).

RSPCA NSW Education Team has visited the playgroups run by Save the Children Mobile Playbus throughout the year and brought responsible pet care and dog safety to the young'uns through interactive activities and playtime props, so this was a great chance to celebrate the upcoming festive season and remind everyone to give their pets some extra love and care!

Claire couldn't be any happier to be with Duke!

The peak of fundraising

All fundraising efforts are greatly appreciated by RSPCA NSW and as a non-government funded charity we rely heavily on the support of the community. So our biggest thanks go to Peakhurst Public School for running a fundraising event for RSPCA NSW!

But what is fundraising without knowledge of how it helps, so Peakhurst Public organised a whole school asssembly to learn this exact information and Education Officer, Eva, went along to enlighten them.

You may be surprised to learn that in the 2010/2011 financial year, it cost RSPCA NSW over $39 million just to run!

If you would like to know what services and programs we provide to the community that require such a significant amount of funds, why not book in a talk from our Education Team and be in the know about RSPCA! Contact us on 9782 4460 or education@rspcansw.org.au

Thanks to the Peakhurst SRC for choosing RSPCA NSW!
Also thanks to Jason for organising the visit!
(Back Row L to R) Chloe, Vivian, Teagan, Taylor
(Front Row L to R) Ricky, Kurt, Deion, Jackson

A happy Playbus Christmas!

This week, RSPCA was invited to the Save The Children Playbus annual Christmas party and what a treat it was!

Education Officers, Steph and Zoe, attended the Playbus Christmas Party and spoke to the children about being safe around dogs. Some of the children even got to meet the Education Team's plush dog 'Max' and practice the important steps on him.

The day was full of fun activities with many children enjoying the face painting, dancing and  there was even a clown!

RSPCA NSW Education Team visits the Playbus group each holidays to teach the children about staying safe around dogs and the importance of looking after their pets.

RSPCA Education Team Officer Steph and Plush dog 'Max'

Two heads are better than one!

And this is definitely the case when it comes to RSPCA NSW Education Team's relationship with the organisation, 'Youth Off The Streets'. The two organisations have been assisting youths to find their passion and engage in various activities in conjunction with our Education Team and Sydney Shelter with a focus on interacting with our canine and feline friends.

The awesome partnership culminated in Community Education Manager, Claire and Education Officer, Eva, attending the Youth Off The Streets Award Ceremony to support the achievements of those students who took time out of their school schedule to help animals living at the RSPCA, waiting for their 'forever' homes.

The RSPCA NSW Education Team wishes all the students the best of luck with their future endeavours and cannot wait to meet some fresh faces next year!

Claire and Eva as proud as punch of the YOTS students!

Second time's a charm!

Although a first visit by RSPCA NSW Education Team is a great opportunity, there's just something wonderful about being able to visit a group again and Education Officers, Steph and Eva, came to this conclusion whilst visiting Concord West Public School for the second year in a row.

As students grow older, we like to help them become wiser, with the knowledge in animal welfare constantly changing. The hot topic around this time of year as Christmas is a time of giving, is what RSPCA NSW warns against - giving pets as gifts! Such a long-term commitment cannot be entered into lightly and the prospective owner needs to consider what their responsibilities will be. Having said that, if the decision has been made to adopt a puppy then RSPCA NSW encourages people to adopt from an animal shelter or finding a reputable breeder that is willing to do three things:

1. Show you the mother of the litter
2. Show you the father of the litter
3. Show you where the litter was born

Considering these two options for getting your puppy will help you to avoid puppy factories.

Students at Concord West Public School were big believers in our campaign and set out to convince others in the community to do the same! Keep an eye out for some of their handy work here soon...

Adopting from an RSPCA Shelter is
so rewarding!

Clean as Kandi

Getting down and dirty is a prerequisite when helping out the animals at the RSPCA Sydney Shelter and students from the Youth Off The Streets Chapel School are no strangers to helping out!

Last Friday had students from the School make their fortnightly visit, this time prepared to give some Shelter dogs a much needed bath! Unaware to many people, but the RSPCA Sydney Shelter is the largest animal shelter in the Southern Hemisphere so even with our large team of staff, it can often be difficult to keep on top on bathing! Here's where a pair (or several pairs in this instance) of helping hands can be just what the dogs need!

With the unpredictability of the weather and the resulting rain creating muddy fun for our dogs, baths are needed on a hourly basis. As a responsible pet owner though, monthly baths would suffice as washing too frequently can result in the 'healthy oils' being stripped from your dogs coat.

Kandi is super grateful for the special attention!
Thanks Brandon and Aaron!

And back to you at Channel 93...

Many people are aware of RSPCA's Animal Rescue series on television but watch out for a possible new show by Channel 93, currently in the stages of editing at Mater Dei Primary School. This documentary style program was thought up by Izabella Momi of Year 4 during her community group project.

Last Wednesday saw Education Officer, Eva, make her debut appearance in a filming project, visiting the School to conduct an interview about RSPCA NSW in front of a curious Year 4 audience.

Izabella did her research and posed some good questions to Eva, all of which illicited important information about RSPCA NSW. One such question was: "What are the needs of our local community?" Of course the RSPCA NSW Education Team believes there is a lack of education in relation to responsible pet ownership, humane food and various other animal welfare issues. If the community were better informed on such issues then we believe everyone could make better decisions when it comes to pet ownership in the community.

Thank you Izabella for being passionate about RSPCA NSW, Tony and Debra, the super-supportive parents and Kathryn Behn, the classroom teacher who gave us the whole afternoon for this fantastic opportunity!

The 'production' team :)

The wait is finally over...

For the much anticipated Expo Day organised by a Year 5 class at Waitara Public School!

Today saw the culmination of many weeks worth of work for students from Ms Lee's class. They presented their work to classes from K-6 but what exactly did this entail? Small groups had chosen a global organisation to research in-depth and luckily for RSPCA NSW, Christine and Claire has chosen RSPCA as the focus for their project.

Each group not only took the chance to educate others on some amazing organisations, but they also made small gifts to exchange for donations from those who visited the Expo stands. Last Thursday gave each group a boost in morale and donations with parents dropping in to learn and donate.

What an amazing way to learn about animal welfare! As Fiona Lee, the classroom teacher, mentioned "the students didn't just research what each organisation does to help the community but found out what the underlying philosophy was". And what is ours at RSPCA NSW? It's a belief that an animal's welfare should be considered in terms of five freedoms.

Keep up the fantastic work Waitara Public School!

The calm before the storm of people...

Claire and Christine fielding enquiries about RSPCA

Congratulations to everyone - you guys did an amazing job!

Encore performance!

That's right, it was a hit last school holidays, so ladies and gents, please welcome back to the stage, round 2 of RSPCA NSW Education's School Holiday Program.

Beginning January 2012, this time round we're offering a Primary and Secondary Program tailored specifically to two different age groups: 8-12 years and 13-17 years.

Check out the program dates and session info: http://www.rspcansw.org.au/education/education_programs

Be quick and you can book on our 'Early bird offer!' See our flyer below for details.

Mmm...yummy...

Our biggest thanks to Katrina at Yummy Cafe in Ambarvale for a wonderful partnership with the establishment over the past few months. RSPCA NSW Education Team have held a community stall at the Cafe every fortnight since October and this has quickly become the melting pot for the local community and the Education Team - sharing knowledge on responsible pet care and various animal welfare issues.

Last week saw a celebration of the Christmas festivities with playgroup parents and kids revelling in various activities, including those RSPCA themed manned by Education Officers, Steph and Eva. What better way to instill responsibility in young kids then by looking after Education Team mascot, Max, by picking up his poo, grooming his long coat and providing him with his favourite toy!

The responsible pet ownership message and program is important knowledge for all members of the community, be they 3 or 103 years old. RSPCA NSW Education Team is spreading this message so book us in anytime! Contact us on 9782 4460 or email education@rspcansw.org.au



Diane with Caleb thoroughly engrossed in

some colouring in; Jo and Amy posing nicely
with Steph.



Max is always a hit and boy was he cared for!

And a hop, hop, hop to you too!

The RSPCA NSW Education Team are becoming familiar with the wonderful gesture of thanks from the Joey Scout groups and Education Officer, Eva, received such a thank you on Monday from the Belrose Joey Scout Group.

The recently formed group were fantastic participants in the responsible pet ownership program and eagerly took in the information to help them towards their 'Care and Share' badge. Many people are unaware that this is one of the best ways you can help the RSPCA - be the best pet owner you can be! And if you are without a pet, the next best thing is to teach friends and family members how they can be the most responsible pet owners!

And as if the captivated audience wasn't enough to bring a smile to Eva, the Belrose Joey Scouts donated a collection of toys for the Shelter animals to enjoy over Christmas and made a monetary donation! Thank you so much kids! And thank you Mandi for organising the visit!

More fun? Claymore fun!

Yay! The Claymore Fun Day is back on and is happening this Saturday, 3rd of December. Head down for a day of fun activities and musical performances.

When: 10am - 2pm

Where: Davis Park, Claymore NSW

Questions in Quakers

When the RSPCA NSW Education Team has the luxury of time during their visits, we always find ourselves fielding some very thought provoking questions and this was no different at Quakers Hill Outside of Hours Care last Wednesday.

Education Officer, Eva, was lucky enough to visit the After School Care kids this time around, having previously visited the Vacation Care kids in the July School Holidays. The topic of the day was responsible pet ownership and even the most dedicated of pet owners in the group learned something new about the different things involved in animal care.

When groups are able to allocate enough time for a presentation as well as question time, we find that participants are given a chance to discuss the various issues and reconsider some of their long held views about animal welfare, fantastic!

Thank you Olivia for inviting the RSPCA NSW Education Team to make this second visit to the Centre! With regular visits the participants are given a chance to extend their knowledge and have further access to RSPCA's wealth of knowledge.

If you know of a group who would benefit from our Education Programs, please drop us a line at 9782 4460 or email us at education@rspcansw.org.au

Ahh, tell me more!

A week of celebrations!

Despite the dreary weather last week, Mt St Thomas Preschool had a fantastic week, 'Pet Week' to be exact! For the whole of last week they celebrated all things to do with pets and what better way to round up the week's events than to invite RSPCA NSW Education to speak with the kids.


All the kids were tested at the end of the presentation to see how many of the various aspects they could recall, the result? 100%! Fantastic work Mt St Thomas Preschoolers! It definitely helps that each child was given the chance to practice an aspect of responsible pet ownership whether they proved their skills in picking up poo or kept Max clean with a thorough grooming of his coat.


Our biggest thanks as well for collecting an array of dog and cats toy for our Shelter animals and raising a donation too!

It really is easy as ABC

At RSPCA we love talking to people about what we do. So much in fact that on Wednesday, Education officer Steph attended the ABC Charity Expo and spoke to staff about ways they can get involve through their workplace and help us help the animals.

One of the simplest ways people can help is through the RSPCA Workplace Giving Program. Workplace giving is the best way to donate to the RSPCA NSW if you have a job, want to help the RSPCA NSW and want to help the most efficient and easiest way there is – for you and for the RSPCA NSW.

By donating through your payroll you;

a) do NOT need to keep a receipt for tax time

b) can turn a $1.40 donation from your pay into $4 to the RSPCA NSW and

c) we have no administration costs.

If you would like to find out more about RSPCA Workplace Giving, please view our website here.  RSPCA NSW Education Team members can also visit your workplace and talk to staff about what we do and how your organisation can help. Don’t hesitate to contact us for a visit! 

Steph with plenty of information for ABC staff

All boxed up and ready to go!

Thank you to the students of Sydney International Grammar School who donated food, toys and treats to RSPCA. And to personally thank them for their efforts, Education Officer Steph visited the school and addressed the students about the work of the RSPCA and how their donation helps. 

Over 50kg worth of tinned food was collected by the students – what a massive effort! The donated items were then boxed, wheeled and loaded, ready to be transported to the RSPCA Shelter. The food and treats were greatly appreciated by shelter staff and RSPCA Inspectors who are in constant need of donated food for the many animals they respond to.  

If you, your class or school would like to collect a monetary donation or items like food and toys for the animals at our shelters, please contact us at education@rspcansw.org.au or visit our website to view our shelter wish list.

Sydney International Grammar School students with 
the trolley of donated goods!

More fun? Claymore fun!

Attention Ladies and Gents! Due to the weather, Claymore Fun Day has been postponed to next Saturday 3rd December, 2011. That just gives us another week to get excited about the Event!

Whoever said never to work with kids and animals hasn't been to the Claymore Fun Day and you know what? Either has the RSPCA NSW Education Team!

For the first time, Education Team will be attending the Claymore Fun Day, with Community Education Manager, Matt and Education Officer, Steph, raring to go! They'll be providing some fun activities for the kids and education on all sorts of animal welfare issues to the general public.

If you think this is the formula for a great day out, why not join us this Saturday 26th November, 2011 from 10.00am!

There's no wait for Waitara!

Education Officer, Eva, cannot wait to visit Waitara Public School again next week following an interesting visit earlier this week.

Eva was already keen to visit the school on Monday as they had fundraised for RSPCA NSW and she could not wait to let the students know how the money was going to help all the animals at their whole school assembly. It was a privilege then to meet Martine and Lily who had taken it upon themselves to individually fundraise for RSPCA both for NSW and for QLD during their flood appeal.

What a turn of events when a Year 5 Teacher, Mrs Fiona Lee, proudly informed Eva that her class was currently researching global organisations and one group has chosen RSPCA and the entire class would love to hear first hand about the organisation.

The class had some amazing questions and it showed true understanding and analysis of the various animal welfare issues that we deal with on a daily basis.

And it doesn't stop there, tune in next week to see what else the class has done to delve deeper into RSPCA!

I wonder what they're up to next week...?

Who can help RSPCA Shelter animals? Kanwal can!

Big thanks to the 1^st Kanwal Joey Scout groups for providing RSPCA NSW with a collection of toys and treats for the Shelter animals to enjoy! RSPCA NSW required over $39 million just in the last financial year to run the whole organisation so any monetary or item donations are greatly appreciated.

Education Officer, Steph, went along last week to speak with the kids about how their generousity will help out all the animals who temporarily call RSPCA home. Rusty, the Education Team mascot, also went along to help the kids practice how to safely meet a dog for the first time – practice makes perfect! An intergral part of our Dog Safety Program, the knowledge will definitely benefit the kids and help keep them safe on the streets with whopping 63% of the Australian population identifying themselves as pet owners!

If you or a group you know would like to fundraise or collect goods for the RSPCA NSW, the Education Team would love to make the most of the opportunity and show our appreciation with a visit and a talk! To contact us, please call 9782 4460 or email education@rspcansw.org.au

North, South, East, West, where oh where were we?

In the North, North Epping to be precise!

The sun was shining, people were smiling and boy were we spruiking! All in the name of education, as Training Manager and Veterinarian, Narelle and Education Officer, Eva, secured a very lucrative spot in the North Epping Village Fair over the weekend.

People from the local community were out in force, ready to support a good cause and our RSPCA marquee had a fair share of the attention. Our purpose was two-fold - educating the public and provide them with the best RSPCA merchandise they've ever seen! With Christmas just around the corner, everyone was keen to find that perfect stocking filler and we were happy to see many people did not forget that special gift for their special pet! All proceeds from the day will go directly to help the many animals who will need RSPCA's help over the holiday season.

If you're on the hunt for the perfect present, check out our online store. Even if you're currently without a pet, why not purchase an item to donate to an RSPCA Shelter and provide an unwanted animal some much needed joy!

Information, merchandise and a lucky dip,

what more could you need?



Meet Holly the Basenji, taking cover from the
scorching weather



The sweet sound of responsible pet ownership!

As great as the voices are of the RSPCA NSW Education Team when educating the public, their harmonies don't compare to that of Jessica Mauboy. And it's fantastic news to hear that Jess Mauboy, along with Nintendo® have hit the publicity trail to promote a great alternative to adopting a dog or cat - adopting a virtual dog or cat!

Nintendo® have released their game "Nintendogs + cats" and for the first time RSPCA has put their 'paw of approval' on the game. "Nintendogs + cats" lets you find the puppy or kitten that's right for you and just like owning a real one, the more you train, care and love your puppy or kitten, the happier and more rewarding they become. You get to watch your puppies and kittens learn to recognise your face and voice commands. Show affection towards them, and train them regularly and you'll be rewarded with a pet that runs up to the screen to greet you!

This is a fantastic opportunity to learn all about responsible pet ownership and everything that is involved. Not just the physical things are important like food and water, but training and showing affection is vital to your virtual and real pets' wellbeing.

Community Education Manager, Matt French, is on the trail along with Jess Mauboy to speak of the benefits of this alternative as RSPCA often sees the consequences of that last minute Christmas gift of a real animal - an animal surrendered into our Shelter after the amusement factor has worn off.

Words of wisdom from Mr French



Go Team "Responsible Pet Ownership!"



Words spread to the West

Words about reponsible pet ownership that is!

Often people adopt an animal without any preparation or research into what is required to keep that animal happy and healthy. RSPCA NSW Education aim to bridge the gap in knowledge by presenting responsible pet care information to anyone, anywhere and anytime.

Education Officer, Eva, travelled with the responsible pet ownership message to a primary school in the West on Monday, excited that this was the second visit in as many years. It's always a fantastic opportunity to visit students on an annual basis (although we wouldn't mind daily) and extend their knowledge and understanding.

The students were involved in renacting the various tasks that need to be undertaken on a daily basis to maintain our cats and dogs mental and physical wellbeing. They didn't even shy away from picking up the poo - an intergral part of being a responsilbe pet owner!

If you would like to bring this knowledge to your group, RSPCA NSW Education Team can adapt the content to suit any audience. Call us on 9782 4460 or email education@rspcansw.org.au

I'm all ears!

Christmas by Cody

Christmas came early for the animals at the Sydney Shelter over the weekend all thanks to Cody!

This passionate individual had initially enquired about volunteering with RSPCA but unfortunately did not meet our minimum age requirement of 18 years. But this did not stop him from pursuing his passion to help animals. Cody and his mother set about scouring the local neighbourhood and local businesses for donations of items for RSPCA animals. Most people are unaware that the Sydney Shelter keeps a 'wishlist' of items on the website and boy did Cody deliver on these wishes!

RSPCA NSW is a non-government funded charity so all donations, monetary or goods, are greatly appreciated, especially coming up to Christmas - a time where the number of animals we shelter go up significantly.

So many goodies for the animals!

We landed on paper!

In the Camden Haven Courier to be exact.

Following our stint in Port Macquarie, the positive feedback continues to grow!

You must be brave!

It always hard when faced with an unknown dog to remember what to do and even more challenging to do absolutely...nothing. That's right, when faced with an unknown dog, you must overcome your instinct to run away or scream for help and instead remain very still and quiet. This was quite the challenge for joey scouts from the 1st Carlingford Joey Scout Group on Wednesday.

This fantastic learning experience was presented to the kids by Education Officer Eva during our dog safety talk. Eva simulated a situation with an unknown dog using our trusty Education mascot, Rusty, to see just how brave they could be. The joey scouts did amazingly well except for a few giggling 'trees' here and there.

If you or someone you know is up for the challenge, book a Dog Safety talk today!
Call us on 9782 4460 or email education@rspcansw.org.au

Don't be fooled! Is it safe to approach an unknown dog?

Never too young to help!

It's always amazing to come across generous individuals who request donations to RSPCA NSW in lieu of birthday gifts. But when this particular individual makes such a request for their 6th birthday, it makes the act that much more extraordinary!

Welcome to the scene Mary Alexander, just turned 6 years old from Newcastle Grammar.

She made the decision, on her own accord, to ask all her party guests to bring in donations for RSPCA NSW instead of birthday presents. After raising a whopping $260, Mary, along with her mother, Gaelene, journeyed to the RSPCA Tighes Hill Veterinary Hospital and met with Nursing Supervisor, Tracee McWhinnee to make the donation in person. Tracee was touched by act and said that "it was lovely to know that there are young children out there that care so much".

Education Officers, Steph and Eva, along with Tracee, organised with Newcastle Grammar to present a Certificate of Appreciation to Mary at the school assembly to recognise her wonderful efforts! Eva gave a brief talk to the assembly to let all the students know how the money raised will help all the animals at RSPCA NSW.

Thanks Mary for helping the many animals that need RSPCA's help and we hope your passion for animals continues to grow!

If you or someone you know is thinking about fundraising for RSPCA NSW, we would love to hear from you! Call us at 9782 4460 or email: education@rspcansw.org.au

Mary's donation can help house a

RSPCA dog for at least 52 days!

Part of the RSPCA Team!

Thanks for the memories Port Macq!

RSPCA NSW Education Officers Steph and Eva farewelled Port Macquarie on Friday, following a week long visit initiated by the local Port Macquarie Branch. The branch were awarded a grant from the Port Macquarie-Hastings Council to deliver education programs in the local high schools to combat incidents of animal cruelty, so they invited the Team to spearhead the implementation.

A visit to Camden Haven High School wrapped up the week where Steph delivered a program focusing on what constitutes animal cruelty, how students can identify it and assist RSPCA by making a complaint. There is often a  misconception and unfounded fear that people who are investigated by our Inspectors are “in trouble” but often this is not the case and the focus is on educating them on the proper care of their animals.

Jackianne Wright, the president of the RSPCA Port Macquarie Branch came along and gave the students an insight to some of the fantastic initiatives implemented by the Branch in the local community. The latest project is the renovation of the Port Macquarie Shelter, with all the funds raised for the project coming from the Port Macquarie community and just another example of how fundraising in the local community benefits the animals from that community.

The school is fortunate enough to be home to various farm animals with their self-run agricultural plot, see some pics below!

We love seeing free range in action!

Steph getting up close and personal, aww!

Interested in a career...

...with animals? Well it was this exact question that brought RSPCA NSW Education Officers, Steph and Eva, back to Heritage Christian School to discuss with Year 10 students the various roles within RSPCA.

Many people are aware of roles such as Animal Attendants, Inspectors and Veterinarians but it takes a massive team to run RSPCA NSW and students went away pondering all the different avenues they can pursue to get that dream career working with animals.

Did you know...

• We only have 32 Inspectors investigating animal cruelty complaints throughout New South Wales
• The Sydney Shelter is the largest animal shelter in the Southern Hemisphere
• There are four RSPCA Animal Hospitals across the State servicing the general public

"Phew", that's a lot of work for the RSPCA so we need to best of the best! If you or someone you know would be interested in working for the RSPCA, please see our website.

Reading up on the latest animal welfare campaigns can help
give you a feel for what's out there

Chickens and pigs and Mark, oh my!

Yesterday saw 16 broilers, 6 layers, 1 sow and 4 members of the RSPCA NSW Education Team set up an array of interactive humane food displays for students at Heritage Christian School.

Need a quick vocab lesson?

Broiler = chickens that we eat for meat

Layer = hens that provide us with eggs

Sow = female pig

4 Education Team members = Mark, Steph & Eva with Marianne our Media Officer as an Honourary member.

Humane food is a major campaign for the RSPCA and one where each individual can directly impact the welfare of farm animals every time they shop at the supermarket. These issues were presented to the Food Technology and Hospitality students, with the aim of increasing their awareness of issues they will need to consider if they are to pursue careers in the food industry.

What’s the biggest issue across each of the three systems? Space.

• Caged chickens are afforded less space than an A4 piece of paper.
• Broilers in intensive systems may number around 20 chickens for each m².
• Sows live in a stall which allows them to sit and move back and forth, but there is no room to turn around.

Animals in these intensive production systems are unable to exhibit their natural behaviours.

RSPCA encourages consumers to make a higher welfare choice by choosing better welfare options and allow chickens to do ‘chicken things’ and pigs to do ‘pig things’. Look for:

-          Cage free, Free range, Barn laid

-          Free range chicken

-          Bred free range, Free range pork



Peaches the Pig was the main attraction in her decomissioned
sow stall



Jess putting law into practice - an unbelievable six hens are
legally permitted inside the cage

Mark in his element - speaking on all things related to
humane food

Not scared at Howl-aween!

Did you enjoy the Halloween festivities over the weekend, perhaps in the Castle Hill area? If you answered yes, then we're sure you attended the Howl-aween event at Castle Hill Showground and "it was a great pleasure to meet you" says Education Team members, Matt & Eva.

What an amazing day out for dogs with endless agility demonstrations, informative talks (including our very own Matt French) and ofcourse the much anticipated appearance by Wags the Dog.

Matt & Eva set up the infamous 'cage', filled with six chickens - the unfortunate conditions provided for many caged egg-laying chickens and this caught many people unawares as RSPCA is often presumed to deal primarily with cats and dogs but no, we campaign for all creatures great and small!

Those who came by our RSPCA marquee after midday were fortunate enough to meet one of our very own Inspectors, Gillian Hay as she dropped by after attending to a cruelty complaint. It didn't take long for people to realise that one of the stars of the RSPCA 'Animal Rescue' was in our presence and the autographs were flowing freely.

A definite highlight of the day was seeing an ex-RSPCA dog, Max, who was adopted from our Sydney Shelter only 10 months prior by Mahnam Moghaddam. It was great to see how well they were doing and that Max may have a new buddy soon! We'll see you at the Shelter again soon Mahnam!

Finally, a massive thank you to the third place prize winner in the "Best Dressed Family Competition" for donating their prize, a $30 voucher for pet supplies, to RSPCA NSW so that more toys and treats can be purchased for Shelter dogs. What an awesomely generous gesture!

Gill's right hand has now recovered from the numerous

autograph requests, hehe



Another happy story - Mahnam found her best
bud from RSPCA



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RSPCA NSW Education Team members, Steph and Eva, welcomed students from the Youth Off The Streets Chapel School for their second visit to the Sydney Shelter last Friday.

During their previous visit, the students were instructed in methods of positive reinforcement to train two Shelter dogs, Bow and Jeanie. This time around we made sure they didn't give all their attention to our canine residents (the evidence is below). Starting with reiterating some basic good manners for several Shelter dogs, the students were fantastic in keeping Morris and Hunter entertained with fetch being the flavour of the day. The students were then taken into the Cattery where cuddles were shared all around.



Thanks for the cuddles Daniel!

 Thanks Chapel School for providing some much needed attention to our Shelter animals!


  

Aaron and Piper  we're having heaps of fun
- don't be fooled by their expressions.



Calvin and Jinx were bonding well, though Jinx
wasn't too keen on photo bonding time =)



We let Edward (the person) out...eventually.