I completed the following interview with 5th Graders to help them with their Grade 5 Exhibition. This interview I wrote fits very well with the CAS Learning outcomes, and it serves as a good reflection for service, and Care for Paws. Here are my responses:
LO4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in CAS.
1.How does care for paws help raise awareness about stray dogs?
Care for Paws does many different things to help raise awareness about street dogs. In the past, we have taken many different initiatives as a service group to raise awareness about stray dogs (especially in Sri Lanka). One of the biggest things we did to raise awareness is creating our own website. Here is the link if you would like to check it out: https://sites.google.com/osc.lk/oscscareforpawsanimalsupport/home?authuser=0 We shared this website with so many people in the school and it has loads of information about the overpopulation of street dogs in Sri Lanka, and how some of them are poorly treated.
In the past, we have also hosted a virtual “Animal Support Week” which really raised awareness about Sri Lankan stray dogs. Since it went to all the students and teachers in our school, and many people participated, it was a great way to raise awareness (more links to each of the days of the spirit week, and links to each day’s padlet is on the website link above if you are interested in checking that out).
We also have a Facebook page (I am sorry, I don’t have that link), and we sometimes use the secondary daily bulletin (a bit like the primary basketball court assemblies) to advertise more information about specific street dogs if they need adoption. This is more for raising awareness about adopting street dogs.
October 4th is Animal Awareness day, and in the past, we have gotten people to wear purple/purple ribbons to support the animal rights cause, and street dogs.
LO5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experiences.
2.How do care for paws raise funds?
There are multiple different ways that we have raised funds in the past. We have made and ordered our own -T-shirts (with original designs, logos and our slogan on it), which we have designed, ordered and sold before in the past. We have also done Christmas Bake Sales (before COVID), which also raised lots of money. We have also recently made some Tie-Dye shirts (which we dyed ourselves), that will be on sale as soon as we are back in School.
We have also provided the information of some locals who help and support street dogs; such as Manoja Weerakkody, Chandrani, and Uncle Nihal to the community, and some people have donated funds directly to them (although we didn’t raise our own funds). Even though this is not fundraising; it is directly helping the street dogs community.
LO7 Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences.
3.What do you do to help stray/street dogs?
2018 Sterilization Camp
We do many different things to help street dogs in Sri Lanka. The main direct way we help them is by hosting annual sterilization and vaccination camps for them, which helps reduce the street dogs population. Even though for some people, it is an ethical debate to sterilize street dogs, it truly does help them in the end, as most of the time the street puppies are often injured on the road, they are not fed, neglected, and they are not always taken care of. We have also done an anti-animal tourism pledge, where we have gotten over 70 people from our school to sign and say that they will do certain things to stop animal abuse (some of which are street-dog oriented). We have also directly helped the street dogs community on a couple of our days for the animal support week. We had a “help an animal” day, where loads of people helped and fed some street animals, or just shown them some love and attention. We have also previously spent a couple of service sessions giving attention to street dogs on walks. We have also done food drives, which we used to feed the street dogs at our sterilization camp. We have also donated money to local people who help street dogs locally.
LO5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experiences.
4.What shelters do care for paws raise work with?
We work with many local people who help street dogs (Manoja Weerakkody, Chandrani, and Uncle Nihal). When we do sterilization camps and collaborate with Shoba from Adopt a Dog Sri Lanka and Future Vets of Sri Lanka. We have also worked with Embark in the past, but we have not worked with them recently.
5.how many stray dogs have care for paws helped?
There is not really an exact number I can answer here… For our annual sterilization camp, we sterilize around 50ish dogs each year, and we vaccinate around 70 each year. We also help many other dogs through the different ways I have explained above. For example, helping a street dog can be as simple as giving a dog some attention on a walk. Because of this, I cannot really give a definitive number, but in terms of sterilizations, we have probably sterilized over 100 animals over the years and treated many more (with vaccinations, and manage treatment and other different treatments).
6.what is the big goal for care for paws?
Our main goal as a service group is to raise awareness about the issues surrounding stray animals and the oppressing issue of animal rights here in Sri Lanka. We work to encounter overpopulation, negation and maltreatment. Our weekly meetings consist of us creating action plans to overcome these issues and to raise funds to directly help the street dogs in Sri Lanka in as many ways as we can.
LO6 Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally or internationally.
7.How can students like us help make a difference for stray dogs?
You can do so much to help stray dogs! As I said, even giving some street dogs love and attention (Safley), will help them and make them happier. You could also feed them or give them water. You could raise money to donate towards some locals who directly help street dogs (such as the ones I have mentioned earlier). If enough money was raised, you could even get a miniature vaccination camp organized with the money you raised. Also, raising awareness also really helps, especially about the issues of street dog overpopulation, and neglect. Announcing statistics about street dogs, and letting people know about the local situation can really help. You could also do a mini moral obligation pledge for people to take care of street dogs.
LO6 Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally or internationally.
8.When was care for paws created and why was it created?
Care for Paws was created in 2016, which the purpose of helping street dogs in Sri Lanka, and to achieve and work towards our goal I mentioned in question 6. In general, it was created with the intention of bettering the lives of street dogs in Sri Lanka. However, since then, we have also expanded to try to help street cats, and even other animals in Sri Lanka (such as elephants, and turtles). However, our main focus is on street dogs and cats and bettering their lives.
Hope this helps! 🙂
Chloe
Learning Outcomes
LO4 Show commitment to and perseverance in CAS experiences Students demonstrate regular involvement and active engagement in CAS.
LO5 Demonstrate the skills and recognize the benefits of working collaboratively Students are able to identify, demonstrate and critically discuss the benefits and challenges of collaboration gained through CAS experiences.
LO6 Demonstrate engagement with issues of global significance Students are able to identify and demonstrate their understanding of global issues, make responsible decisions, and take appropriate action in response to the issue either locally, nationally or internationally.
LO7 Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions Students show awareness of the consequences of choices and actions in planning and carrying out CAS experiences.
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