The Porter County Animal Shelter has announced its first ever Kids Summer Day Camp for children who love animals or are interested in learning about animal welfare.

There will be three separate camp sessions at the Shelter, each targeted to a specific age group.

The July 30 Day Camp is for students entering first, second and third grades. The campers will learn about animal shelters, the proper care of animals, and the importance of being kind to animals. The session will include crafts, lesson plans, demonstrations, and interaction with Shelter animals.

The July 31 Day Camp is for students entering fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh grades. The campers will learn about animal shelters, proper care of animals, the importance of being kind to animals and spay/neuter programs. The session will include crafts, lesson plans, demonstrations, and interaction with Shelter animals.

The August 1 Animal Advocates Day Camp is for children from 12 to 15 years old. The campers will receive in-depth training about animal advocacy including a behind the scenes tour of the Shelter. The campers will learn about different animal related careers and explore animal welfare issues. The session will include lesson plans, activities, interaction with Shelter animals and a meet and greet with professionals in animal related careers.

The camp sessions will be led by Kate Vanderlin, community outreach coordinator for the Shelter. In addition to her background in animal care and shelter management, Vanderlin holds a degree in education and has professional training in humane education. Chaperones will aid in supervision of the Day Campers.

All Day Camp sessions will be held at the Porter County Animal Shelter, the hours for each session will be from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. A lunch will be provided. All children successfully completing a day camp session will receive a free Porter County Animal Shelter t-shirt.

Enrollment is limited to 24 children for each camp session, and campers will be accepted on a first come, first served basis. Parents/guardians must complete a registration/liability waiver form, and pre-pay a non-refundable $40 registration fee before their child can be accepted for enrollment.

Registration deadline is July 15. Registration/waiver forms are available at the Porter County Animal Shelter, 2056 Heavilin Rd. in Valparaiso, or can be downloaded at this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kwx7fhcxbbj7qef/Kids%20Day%20Camp%20Registration%20Form.pdf.

For questions or more information, please contact Kate Vanderlin at 465-3550 or via email at kvanderlin@porterco.org.

The mission of the Porter County Animal Shelter is to promote and encourage the adoption of abandoned or surrendered animals.

The Shelter is open to the public on Tuesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Noon until 6 p.m., and on Wednesday and Thursday from Noon until 8 p.m. The Shelter is closed to the public on Mondays.

Posted 6/15/2018