The St. Croix Animal Welfare Center has always had humane education as a core part of its mission. Changing the way animals are treated in our community is essential to stopping the problems of pet neglect and abuse, abandonment, and pet overpopulation. Our humane education initiatives include:
Elementary School Visits
Our volunteer-driven elementary school visit program has been suspended for the 2017-2018 school year due to the disruption of Hurricane Maria. This program includes 3 visits per year per grade to every public elementary school and distribution of KIND News kids magazine. Teaching the children compassion, respect for life, basic pet care and spay/neuter advantages encourages improved pet care practices in the future.
Community Outreach
The St. Croix Animal Welfare Center has been serving St. Croix for nearly 45 years. We are very aware of which neighborhoods need the most help and which contribute the most to our animal welfare problems. Working with these communities to provide animal care assistance, offer low-cost/no-cost spay/neuter surgeries and promote better pet care practices, we are changing the way pets are treated in these areas.
Adult Education
Every interaction with our community is an opportunity to educate. Our front desk staff are all adept at using non-confrontational techniques to discuss the problems of pet overpopulation, the advantages of spay/neuter, the public safety and health concerns associated with abandoned and/or neglected pets, and more.
Social Media Advertising
Our Facebook presence is a major component of our community humane education efforts. Increasing awareness of the pet-overpopulation realities on the island, encouraging responsible pet care practices, teaching about common health issues like tick fever, heartworm, and mange, and promoting the many amazing pets available for adoption, we are using social media to educate and promote our cause.