They say to never work with kids or animals but since the RSPCA is already working with one, why not work with both?
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The ACT branch of the national animal charity is launching its new school holiday program that helps to educate the next generation of pet owners.
Sleep Out For Strays aims to teach children about keeping animals healthy and how to help animals in need through a series of tasks, competitions, activities and visits to the animal shelter.
But, like most good educational activities, there's also an element of fun with RSPCA ACT chief executive Michelle Robertson saying it captures the same excitement as a sleepover.
Participants are encouraged to have a sleepover in the lounge room - or wherever safe place they choose to sleep for the night - to consider what it's like for the shelter's animals that only have a temporary bed. They can also choose to add a fundraising element to the experience, asking friends and family to donate to the RSPCA.
All money raised from the event goes directly towards the RSPCA ACT animal shelter in Weston.
"Get a group of your friends together, you all register - after speaking to your parents - have a safe space ... and if you have the space set up a fort in the lounge room or a tent in the backyard and have a whole animal theme thing," Ms Robertson said.
"Play games, buy cookies, do crafts, do whatever. And although it's fun, have that serious thought about the animals that don't have their own home."
Each year more than 2000 animals arrive at the shelter in Weston with nowhere else to go and often in bad shape and needing urgent care.
The shelter has about 330 animals in its care at the moment, including roosters, rabbits, pigeons, parrots, ferrets, cats and dogs. There are a particularly large number of puppies, which make up a third of the animals in care. This includes Molly, the 13-week-old Blue Heeler who was surrendered to the shelter at five weeks of age.
"It's been nuts. Our surrender lists, we've just had so many litters of puppies and single puppies coming in and it's a lot," Ms Robertson said.
"So it's really good to talk about educating the young people so that these types of problems don't occur. And it will take many years for us to get there, but we've got to make a start."
Unlike other RSPCA shelters, the ACT branch does not have a dedicated educational area due to space at the Weston location. That's part of the reason why the team has devised this program, which is run primarily at home, with online quizzes, videos and other activities for the children to take part in.
Ms Robertson said it was important for the RSPCA to educate, even from a young age, to help decrease the number of animals surrendered in the future.
"Unfortunately, this facility that we're operating from really isn't fit for purpose. So we can't bring big groups through," she said.
"So in the absence of having the physical infrastructure for us to run those educational programs, the way that we believe they should be run, we're just trying to be very creative and come up with ideas on how can we in a fun, exciting way, get children excited and interested in animal welfare, and give them the tools for life so that they can grow up and be responsible pet owners."
Sleep Out For Strays runs from April 12 to April 27.
To register for Sleep Out For Strays go to rspca-act.org.au or fundraiserspcaact.com.au