Bark to school for the Animal Management Team

Published on 29 February 2024

Wednesday saw Waitaki District Council go back to school, as part of the Animal Management team’s school education programme pilot.

Animal control officer Sheridan Newson, accompanied by her dog Milo, visited each of Te Pākihi o Maru’s classes – Kororā, Tūī, Piwakawaka, Kererū, Ruru and Tōroa – and talked about how to be safe around dogs.

There are around 5,000 registered dogs in the Waitaki District, and animal control officers are often called out to deal with loose animals, or those behaving aggressively or barking.

The programme intends to ensure that every child in the district knows what to do if they encounter a loose animal, and learn a little more about their own pets at home.

Ms Newson said: “It’s great to be able to help kids keep safe around dogs, and a lot of the students had dogs at home but learned about how to safely approach and pat a dog, and how to tell if a dog wants to be left alone”

The students all got a chance to stroke Milo, chin to chest, and watched her chase after bubbles. They were also given a dog behaviour activity sheet, and a poster showing what different dog behaviour means.

ENDS