Children pulled their parent’s hands as they entered a room full of furry friends at the Groton Public Library on the morning of Aug. 18. The library’s pet-animal educational event, “A Faux Adoption of Pets,” was filled with smiling children from the region, ready to adopt their new pets—although these animals were of the stuffed-toy variety.
Esther Pendola, a coordinator for Safe Kids, a part of the Office of Community Health, Outreach & Partnerships of Lawrence & Memorial Hospital, stood near the door as she and other volunteers passed out clipboards that contained materials needed for children to start the adoption process. Each visitor was told to note their dedication to their new pet, choose their pet, and then visit five different tables set up in the room to teach them about adopting animals, such as training their new pet, choosing a veterinarian, and safety precautions.
“They also get money,” Pendola said, smiling and referencing the table of fake currency set up at the event. “They receive $400 to ‘purchase’ their pet—and they see how fast that $400 goes.”
The program, she said, aims to show children what it really means to take care of a pet and to learn safety tips when approaching stray animals.
Program organizer Donna Duso, Groton’s animal control officer, said the Community Policing Department in Groton suggested she create an educational, community event. In the process of putting the event together, she said she received 301 donated stuffed animals, which she later prepared for the program. Lieutenant/Animal Control Supervisor Ben Carpenter, Community Policing Officer Eric Zbierski, and Community Networking Police Officer Derek Robertson stood in the middle of the room, enjoying the children’s excitement.
Zbierski said the program such as A Faux Adoption of Pets helps to bridge a gap between the Community Policing division and the community. “And everybody loves Donna,” he added.
Next to the police officers, in front of the Vet Center, stood a board displaying the different costs of medicines and exams. Paperwork on different animal health conditions and information was organized on the table in front of stand-in veterinarian and fifth-grade student, Cierra Amaral of Gales Ferry. As children came up to her table with their animals, she helped them make up hypothetical symptoms and explained to her “clients” how much it would cost to treat the health problem.
Duso said all of the different organizations in the area that concern children’s and animals’ safety, such as Safe Kids; WAGS, an experienced volunteer group of professionally trained and registered members of Delta Society and Therapy Dogs International, Inc.; and PAWZ, a group of different organizations that focus around programming for animal bite prevention, work together and visit schools to present programs and events. She said collaborating with the different organizations is great, especially because it’s been busy at Animal Control and the animal shelter.
“We all work together to work with the kids because we want to help programs that help kids and animals,” Pendola said.
“You’re not going to go to a shelter and find Lassie,” New London Animal Control Officer Tonya Rivers noted from her table next to the Vet Center. She said dogs with a tough past, especially adult dogs, come with baggage. Most of the dogs she comes in contact with are strays, abandoned, or abused.
“It’s a surprise package,” she continued.
As Rivers began to explain the ins and outs of training a new dog positively, 3-year-old Rocky Cinelli of Montville pulled his new Dalmatian, “Puppy,” by the leash to the table. In the midst of Rivers’ presentation, she patiently explained to Rocky the importance of standing as stiff as a rock when approached by a stray dog and asking before petting someone else’s dog,
Rocky’s mother, Natalie Phillips, said she took Rocky to the event because of his obsession with animals.
“He does this with his stuffed animals all the time,” she said, watching Rocky play catch with “Puppy” and take him for a walk in a playing area inside the adopting room.
“Everybody wants a dog or a cat,” Robertson said. When people who haven’t grown up around pets adopt or purchase one, he continued, some people find they aren’t ready for the task at hand.
“That’s when Donna Duso, our ACO, gets involved. That’s when dogs get abandoned or cats get abandoned—they’re sort of roaming around...The everyday responsibility is sometimes not understood until after the fact.”
The faux pet adoption event, he added, teaches children and families what it truly takes to care for a pet.
“They hopefully can understand that it isn’t something that’s going to take care of itself.”
For more information, contact Esther Pendola at 860-442-0729 or ependola@lmhosp.org.