Training Wheels® is our local and national mobile outreach program which takes the shelter to the people instead of waiting for the people to come to the shelter. Training Wheels® is changing the face of sheltering in this country.
Once upon a time, shelters stood as receptacles for pet owners and pets at the end of their relationship. Now, Training Wheels® sends the shelter out into the community to respond to the needs (be it educational, basic care, or financial) of the pet owners in a proactive and non punitive way.
What makes Training Wheels® work:
It brings the shelter directly to the community in a positive way.
It takes a van filled with donated pet supplies (collars, leashes, dog and cat toys, training treats, etc.) and offers them as gifts to local pet owners as a way of starting a relationship between the pet owners and their local shelter
Pet owners see the shelter as a resource for helping them keep their pets rather than as a last resort for surrenderin their pets when all else fails
It unites shelter personnel, dog trainers, and pet owners in a common goal
It prevents overpopulation by making sterilization possible in neighborhoods in which spaying and neutering is not accessible
It focuses on treating people and pets with respect and kindness by sharing advice and information in a compassionate way
It works under the premise that it is the role of the shelter to help acheive a more humane community, and sometimes that means offereing neighbors financial assistance during hard times or unexpected veterinary bills
It maintains as its goal assisting community members in any way to help them keep thier pets and not reach the point where relinquishment becomes necessary
Training Wheels® has programs custom tailored to meet the needs of both urban and rural communities.
If not the shelter, who will help people become the best animal care givers they can possibly be? If not the shelter, who can serve as a model for the humane treatment of people and animals in the community?
http://www.suesternberg.com/00trainingwheels.html
Posted on SHARE Yahoo group Sep 3, 2001