This month, C.A.R.E.4Paws is launching a countywide Paws Up for Pets campaign alongside United Boys & Girls Club and Davey’s Voice, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Barbara and Santa Maria.
The goal is to empower local youth to make a difference by showing others that they care about animals and by inspiring empathy among friends and family members and in the community as a whole. C.A.R.E.4Paws will reach at least 15,000 kids and their families each year; many of these families live in what the organization calls “underserved” communities of the county with limited access to information and resources.
Through Paws Up for Pets, children have the opportunity to become role models for others and earn badges as they participate in the campaign on three levels; each level addresses different animal welfare topics, including abuse. All students will also take home a Paws Up educational packet that features bilingual information about compassionate pet care, spaying/neutering and other services offered by C.A.R.E.4Paws, and how to recognize—and respond to—animal abuse.
For more information visit pawsupforpets.org.
This article appears in Jul 7-14, 2016.