The Bakersfield Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has brought back the Kids and Critters Summer Day Camp after having put the program on pause during the pandemic. The camp, hosted at the Bakersfield SPCA Pet Adoption Center on Gibson Street in Oildale, is a weeklong day program that teaches kids about responsible pet ownership, basic obedience training, and caring for shelter pets.
With Kern County shelters overfull, the camp is returning at a much-needed time.
"I love that you can give a dog a chance to have a good home and you can train them to do things that other people would want them to do," said camper Hannah Mary.
Some of the training, like the obedience training Hannah refers to, is to help prepare the dogs for the transition from living in a shelter into their forever home.
But the kids are learning more than that, as camper Rylee Marks explains.
"I've learned how to groom it properly. I've learned what it takes to actually take care of one, and I think I'm learning… I think we are going to soon learn how to bathe one," said Rylee.
One of the program counselors, Ariel Rosa, has been working with the SPCA Kids and Critters Day Camp for 5 years and sees the benefits.
"Say a child doesn't have a dog at home and they get to experience this day camp. Maybe it will provide them the education, especially for at home if they are like 'Oh, the parent says that they can't take responsibility.' Well, they are able to learn these responsibilities here, and maybe they get lucky and adopt a dog," said Rosa.
Rosa says that the program is currently working with dogs only. Each child is paired with a small dog and works with that dog through the entire camp period. The event also provides guest speakers to help educate the children about pet ownership.
According to Rosa, teaching the dogs things like how to act on a leash or how to sit on command, as well as just getting them used to friendly people and positive attention, is a great way to help the dogs get adopted.
"It helps the dogs get off of the streets. Sometimes they don't like to have human interactions because they haven't had that human interaction or that positive human interaction," said Rosa. "Here, we are able to provide that positive human interaction."
Hannah says she has developed a bond with her dog in her time working with him, and she encourages people to spay and neuter their pets to avoid having so many animals living on the streets and in shelters.
"I really hope that a lot of these dogs that are being interviewed today get adopted because they are such good dogs, and they just really need good homes," said Hannah.
If you are interested in adopting a shelter pet from the Bakersfield SPCA, please visit their online adoption gallery to view the available animals and make an appointment to visit.
