Unum’s Post

Last Saturday I had the privilege to participate as an educator in the Festival of Learning Event, hosted by Escola Concept, sharing the precious learning my first graders accomplished this trimester within our "Community Helpers" project. Under this theme, our young learners delved into the significance of various roles in our community, exploring how individuals contribute to society and how they, as first graders, can make a positive impact. As part of this journey, we collaborated with "Projeto Animais Sem Teto," a nonprofit dedicated to animal rescue in Ribeirão Preto. The students embraced the role of volunteers, caring for shelter dogs, organizing a dog food donation campaign, and advocating for responsible adoption. The interconnectedness of this project happened by seamlessly integrating math and language into our learning experiences: students applied addition counting strategies to calculate the kilograms of dog food collected, and reading strategies were honed as they read books for the rescued dogs. They took charge in spreading awareness, visiting classrooms, distributing informative flyers about the nonprofit's crucial work and many other important actions. As a powerful finale, we organized a small "Dog Adoption Fair," as part of our Festival of Learning event, creating a meaningful closure for the students' volunteer efforts. This fair not only showcased the students' hard work but also provided a transformative opportunity for the dogs from "Projeto Animais Sem Teto" to find loving homes. It was truly heartwarming to witness the development of these children, observe the impacts they've generated, and see the fulfillment of goals achieved through the dedicated work of a class of 16 seven-year-olds. The result of their actions in this project serve as a reminder that even the smallest hands can create the most significant change. 💛 #Escolaconcept #Education #CommunityImpact #HeartwarmingJourney #ChangeMakers #LearningJourney

🐾 Introducing Adoptify: Your go-to pet adoption app! 🏡 Navigate seamless pet adoptions, connect with our call center, and contribute to a cause with our donation features. 🌍 Join us in creating a compassionate world for our furry friends. Share your adoption stories, connect with like-minded animal lovers, and be a part of the Adoptify community! 🌍🐶🐱 #Adoptify #BangkitAcademy #PetAdoptingApps #WheresLoveFindsaHome

Here's something to chew on: Chewy's community engagement. 🐾 Chances are you have encountered one of the many heartwarming Chewy customer service stories. Whether it is stories of the flowers they send to families who have lost their pets or helping elderly/sick pets enjoy their last Christmas, Chewy knows how to show appreciation for their community. My personal favorite so far has been their Chewy Claus campaign. Essentially, pet owners were encouraged to fill out a letter to Chewy Claus. Was your pet naughty or nice? With every letter "sent," Chewy donated a pound of food on your behalf. The letter also asked the pets to make a wish and choose if they would like to receive food or toys. You could also opt to have more fun donated instead. If you were lucky, your wish was fulfilled, or you received a gift. Chewy announced that their 2023 Chewy Claus donated 300,000 pounds of food and supplies to pets in need. That's a lot of letters, AKA engagement. Here are a few reasons why I enjoyed this campaign: -It is shareable and interactive. Pet owners received a copy of their pet's letter in their email. The letter was endearing and a keepsake. I shared mine on Instagram. -It used the power of community to make a difference. At our core, we thrive when we help others.  -It used our love for our furry friends against us in the best way.  -It was relevant to the holiday season but stood out amongst the usual influx of 30% of campaigns. -It is cute and fun. Check out the article to see what they achieved: https://lnkd.in/e9exh9MU.

This article highlights great ways to serve guest families during the season of giving -- and into the new year! #KeepingFamiliesClose What's your favorite way to give back (to RMHC of Alabama or otherwise)?

It's hard to believe, but we're up to our final tip in the WIRC model! Today, we're talking about C - Celebrate! Successful shelters and rescues make adopters feel valued in the community. When adoptions happen, staff and volunteers are sure to congratulate new pet parents. In particular, they introduce new adopters to the staff, volunteers, and/or foster caregivers who cared for the pet they're adopting. They also share contact information for any future questions as the dogs adjusts. When adopters are celebrated, they feel connected, and they're likely to return to the shelter to volunteer or adopt again. Read more in our toolkit, and be sure to look out for future resources! https://ow.ly/kLaX50Q8816

🐕🦺Did you know that Seeing Eye Dogs do more than just guide? They offer freedom, safety, and companionship to those with vision impairments. At CPS IT, we're proud to be a part of this transformative journey, contributing monthly to Seeing Eye Dogs. #SeeingEyeDogs #CPSITCares #CommunityImpact #Empowerment #VisionAustralia #ServiceDogs #MakeADifference https://lnkd.in/gpfCzftq

Did you know some canines can detect if someone has COVID? Check out this STAGES post to learn more.

September is National Service Dog Month: Let's Show Our Support! Hey everyone! Did you know that September is National Service Dog Month? It's the perfect time to honor and appreciate the incredible work that service dogs do to assist individuals with disabilities in various ways. Whether they're guiding the visually impaired, providing emotional support, or aiding those with mobility challenges, these furry heroes make a significant impact on people's lives. To truly celebrate National Service Dog Month, let's all take a moment to brush up on our knowledge about service animals. Understanding their training, roles, and importance can help raise awareness and eliminate misconceptions. Ways to Get Involved and Show Your Support: Donate to Canine Companions: Support the amazing work of Canine Companions for Independence, an organization that trains and provides service dogs to people with disabilities. You can make a difference by donating directly on their website: https://canine.org/ Support New Jersey Dogs of Honor: Another fantastic organization, New Jersey Dogs of Honor, is dedicated to assisting veterans and first responders through the use of service dogs. Your contributions can help make a positive impact: https://njdogsofhonor.com/ Petition for Service Dog Access Rights: Join the effort to advocate for service dog access rights by signing the local petition. Let's work together to ensure that service dogs in training have the recognition and rights they deserve: https://chng.it/8XnhVnjzrV Support Service Dog and Disability Research: Consider contributing to the GoFundMe campaign aimed at supporting research related to service dogs and disabilities. Every bit helps in advancing our understanding and support for these incredible partnerships: https://lnkd.in/gHniKzsE This National Service Dog Month, let's make a collective effort to show our appreciation and support for service dogs and the individuals they assist. Together, we can create a more inclusive and informed community. Share this post to spread the word and encourage others to join the cause! #ServiceDogMonth #SupportServiceDogs #NationalServiceDogMonth #ServiceDogAwareness

I'm offering free consultations to any museum, science center, zoo, etc. that exhibits live rabbits. Please spread the word. Some of you may already know that I'm a devoted bunny owner and a volunteer at House Rabbit Society. Bunnies are in crisis and need your help. Shelters nationwide are being forced to euthanize due to overcrowding. Many well-meaning pet owners do more harm than good because they don't understand their bunny's needs. It's heartbreaking to see so much suffering that could be prevented with the smallest amount of education. I can advise on things like: * Ways to improve your rabbit's housing situation, diet, and enrichment at low cost (some of the suggestions would probably even lower your spending) * Interpretation and labeling for public education * Partnering with shelters in your area -- For individuals who want to help, please consider opening your home to a foster bunny. Shelters rely on fosters to save the bunnies they don't have space for. All you need is a 4'x4' space in your home where you can setup a puppy playpen. Many shelters will even loan you the supplies you need.

The topic of our next Come.Sit.Stay.Learn. webinar is very relevant to many families and shelter/rescue organizations! Do you have kids in your household and are considering adding a dog to your family? Or do you work/volunteer with an organization that has concerns about adopting dogs to families with children, or are wondering best to prepare and support families who are adopting a dog? Join us via Zoom on Friday, March 29th at 4:00pm PT/7:00pm ET with Dr. Karen Griffin, PhD, research scientist and founder of The Dog Rehoming Project, for her talk, "Dogs and Children: How to Promote Positive Relationships and Mitigate Risks". Many households have both children and dogs in them. However, this combination can cause challenges for two-legged and four-legged family members! In order ensure that everybody is as happy and safe as possible, it is imperative that adults and children are well informed of and are practicing appropriate child-dog interactions. It is also important that children learn how to build positive relationships with dogs that are beneficial to both, while also mitigating risks that are associated with dogs and children in the home. This webinar will be packed with useful information (based on science, of course!) for families, shelter/rescue organizations, and anybody who works with or cares for dogs in any capacity! Topics that will be covered in this webinar include: 🐾 How shelters/rescue organizations can educate and prepare families with children prior to adopting their dog, in order to increase the likelihood of a successful adoption 🐾 How shelters/rescue organizations can support families with children after they take their dog home 🐾 How adults in the family can teach children to interact appropriately with dogs 🐾 Quick tips to remember for safe and positive child-dog interactions 🐾 Tools and resources to use throughout this process for both organizations and families RSVP by using the link below to reserve your tickets today! Our Come.Sit.Stay.Learn. series is a fundraiser for The Dog Rehoming Project. Tickets are by donation and all proceeds go toward achieving the organization's mission. Please share and we hope to see you there!