A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
‘Paws for a Cause’ are available in the Lobby of the SRMT Community Building and will also be sold at the Snye Recreation. Proceeds go towards future outreach events, the ACP, Spay/Neuter Clinics and supplies for the SRMT Kennel.
Grey loved the attention and affection of the children.
The children loved being able to sit with and pet Grey
Botti and Grey waited patiently to share their knowledge with the children
Scott Jacobs talked about Lulu with one of the attendees. Lulu is a trained companion therapy dog.
On the morning of Feb. 12 as part of the Akwesasne Winter Carnival over 25 children attended the Dog Bite Prevention Workshop with a Build-a-Pet activity organized by the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe Animal Control Program and volunteers.
“I want to thank the Animal Control Program team for putting on such a great informational workshop,” said Lorraine Thomas who attended with her two grand-nieces Tayla and Watsenniosta. “We really enjoyed it and I personally think all the children in our community should attend this workshop if it is offered again.”
Children and their adult chaperones enjoyed a morning of learning how to avoid getting bitten by a dog. In most instances dog bites occur from the family dog due to children not understanding what proper play is with the animals. After watching a 15 minutes video on how to properly play with the family dog, plus how to approach unfamiliar dogs and what to do if being attacked by an aggressive dog, parents of the children attending can breathe easier knowing that their children now have the skills to handle these types of scenarios.
Once the video was done, Animal Control Officer Jennifer Herne provided information on how to identify dog behavior as aggressive and non-aggressive. A community member also was on hand to talk with the assembled children. Mary Lafrance relayed her experiences getting attacked by a dog and how she had handled the situation and the lasting effect on her.
There were also dogs on hand to demonstrate to the kids the differences in ages and breeds of dogs. Grey, a 5-month-old German Shepherd puppy who is in training demonstrated some of the basic obedience he is learning. Parents were able to ask about where he goes for training and what options are out there for Akwesasronon to get training for their family and pets. There are a lot of places available for training, but you have to learn where to look for them like Cornwall Kennel Club, St. Lawrence Valley Dog Club, Infinite Journey Dog Training, or Shannoncourt Dog Training which is where Grey attends puppy class.
Scott Jacobs also was on hand with his two dogs Botti and Lulu who have had training with an Animal Behavioral Specialist in Rochester and are both certified with AKC STAR Puppy and Canine Good Citizenship. This training allows for their handlers, Scott and his wife Doreen Jacobs, to bring their dogs to Iakhihsohtha for companion therapy with the elders. “Sometimes it is just nice for them to have something to hold onto and if you are lucky a nice warm lick.” Stated Scott while adding, “It was great to come and be able to pass on the care and training for our canine friends. Botti and Lulu couldn’t be happier to help out.”
“Grey, Lulu and Botti with their easy-going mannerisms were a delight to meet and the girls talked about them all day,” Thomas said. “Both girls also loved stuffing their own build-a-pet and all of the healthy snacks. This has been a great experience for us and we all learned a lot.”
“I am very pleased with the turnout we had at the Dog Bite Prevention workshop, the children and adults had a great time,” said Herne. “I enjoyed it very much myself, and our staff of volunteers did such a great job organizing this event. I’m looking forward to our next outreach event in March.”
In addition to the workshop the Akwesasne Winter Carnival Pet Photo display with the voting boxes was also set up that day. 150 photos were submitted to the contest over the 3-week submission period with photos ranging from dogs, cats, guinea pigs, ferrets, horses and various lizards. Each person who showed up to vote was allowed a maximum of 3 selections for each of the 5 categories: Cutest Couple, Ready-Set-Action!, So Ugly I’m Cute, Best Dressed and Me & My Pet.
“We have already had a lot of votes cast at our first voting location,” Herne said. “We are looking forward to seeing more people at the next voting setup next weekend at the Snye Recreation Centre on Feb. 19 & 20. We will also be selling homemade dog treats, dog and cat bandanas, and our ‘Paws for a Cause’ that will all benefit the Animal Control Program.”
In addition to these two additional days of voting, there is also a chance to vote online at their Facebook Fan Page http://www.facebook.com/awcpetphoto.
A special thanks goes out to the volunteers of this event: Jennifer Herne, Lillian Barton, Scott Jacobs, Amberdawn Lafrance, Mary Lafrance, Charity Lazore, Botti, Lulu and Grey.
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