Seminole County Animal Services has a variety of Education Programs available for every age group. These include programs that can be given for schools, home owners associations, church groups, boy and girl scouts troops or any organization in Seminole County interested in hosting a program. Shelter Tours are also available and are very interesting and educational.

 

Education Programs Available
(Programs available to Seminole County Schools and Civic Groups)

Animal Bite Prevention Program: This program is a must for all age groups but it is extremely important for grade school children. What do you do when approached by a strange dog? Is it OK to pet a raccoon? How do you keep from being bit? What happens if a dog knocks you to the ground? Learn some of the best ways to protect yourself from being bitten by a dog, cat or any wildlife. And learn what to do if you are a victim of an animal bite.

Rabies Prevention Program: This program can be tied in with our Bite Prevention Program. Learn how to prevent being bitten or exposed to rabies. Know what to do if you are bitten or scratched by a wild animal. Raccoons, Bats, Foxes, Dogs and Cats all pose a risk of being a carrier of rabies. Knowledge is important in staying safe against rabies.

Shelter Awareness Program: Do you enjoy watching the Animal Cops shows on Animal Planet? If so you will love hearing about the day to day activities at Seminole County Animal Services. How do we get our animals? How long do they stay here? What are some of the jobs in Animal Services? Do we place pit bulls? Why are there so many cats turned in? Do I need a pet license? Why is it important to spay or neuter my pet? How many animals are turned in and adopted out each month?
We will answer these questions and more, so that you will walk away understanding the work we do here and the need we fill in our community.

Pet Care: Learn the basics of owning an animal and what is involved in becoming a responsible pet owner. Food, water and shelter are important but there is much more involved in owning a pet. Training, nutrition, heartworm prevention, flea prevention, grooming, county codes, and much more is talked about to provide you with the information needed in becoming a Responsible Pet Owner.

Spay and Neuter Program: We tie this important topic into every one of our education programs because the country is overpopulated with unwanted and homeless dogs and cats. The number of unwanted and abandoned animals turned into shelters nationwide is staggering. We can show the importance of spaying and neutering your pet and the benefits that can be achieved by this simple procedure.

Hurricane Preparedness: When disaster strikes you are your pets only hope. Be prepared. Know ahead of time what you’re going to do with your animals in the event of a hurricane or other disaster. This program will give you tips on preparing an emergency kit for your pets. Know what to do and how to evacuate with your animals. Once the hurricane or disaster passes be prepared to keep your pets safe and cared for AFTER the emergency. Having a plan should be the number one item on your hurricane checklist; we can help you formulate that plan so that when disaster strikes you are prepared.

MINI PROGRAMS
(These interesting programs can be tied into any of our other education programs)

Snake Identification: They slither and they squirm. They’re scaly, but not slimy! Learn what snakes are native to Florida and the vital role they play in our complex ecology. Florida has over 40 species of snakes and 6 of these are venomous. Learn how to identify a venomous snake and get a brief look into the lives of these interesting reptiles.

Spiders: Florida is home to many species of spiders. Which ones are harmless and which ones should we steer clear of? Tarantulas are found to be disgusting and terrifying to many people but they are also intriguing to others. We just touch the surface on these fascinating creatures. This is a program that grade school children find epically interesting.

SHELTER TOURS

Shelter Tours: Group tours of the Animal Services Shelter are available by appointment. We follow these tours with a mini program on shelter awareness and a question and answer session geared towards the age of the group. Although very interesting a shelter tour can be very loud as you go through the kennel so it is not recommended for very young children as the noise may frighten them.

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For information on our Education Programs and Shelter Tours contact:
Diane Gagliano-Program Coordinator: 407-665-5208
Email: Dgagliano@seminolecountyfl.gov