Mar 30, 2023
Austin Pets Alive! has lengthy been identified for innovating, participating, and sharing our wisdom of learn how to save animals’ lives.
However animal welfare could also be about people—the people who love and personal pets, and the people who paintings in animal shelters. That’s why we’re so extremely joyful to introduce Puppy Friends, our emblem new program for at-risk and prone working-age adolescence to take part in an 8-week paid internship!
The interns, who’re between 16 and 21 years outdated, are studying the fine details of refuge control, and gaining the vital talents and enjoy to paintings in animal sheltering—together with at Austin Pets Alive!.
9 interns shape our inaugural magnificence. Beginning on February 4, each Saturday they’re assembly at APA!’s The city Lake Animal Middle campus for 4 hours to discover the arena of animal welfare and be informed essential skilled talents.
Every consultation features a lesson and/or coaching, team dialogue and task, one-on-one mentoring, lunch and refreshments, and strolling and enjoying with animals.
This system additionally comes to resume development, mock interviews, and “build up all the ones interview talents that a youngster most certainly in most cases does not have get entry to to prior to they begin on the lookout for a role,” says Alexis Telfair-Garcia, APA!’s Social Paintings Program Construction Supervisor—and one of the vital nation’s first actual social employees on group of workers at an animal refuge.
“Puppy Friends offers us and our neighborhood an urgently-needed alternative to near the distance between human and animal products and services, and expand the following era of animal welfare leaders,” Alexis says. “We are hoping, and be expecting, that this development received’t prevent in Austin, both—however that animal shelters in different communities will get started Puppy Friends systems of their very own.”
Social paintings scholars from the College of Texas and St. Edward’s College function mentors for the Puppy Friends interns, along side Austin Pets Alive! volunteers.
Dr. Ellen Jefferson, President and CEO of Austin Pets Alive!, says her pleasure for Puppy Friends is partially because of enticing the interns within the pressing paintings of saving the lives of cats and canines—and it’s additionally about serving to those younger animal fans understand their goals.
“One intern advised us she’s making plans to main in animal science to grow to be a veterinarian, and believes this program can lend a hand her get there. Every other mentioned they had been moved to take part by means of the loss of life of a loved canine, and short of to avoid wasting the lives of alternative animals on this puppy’s honor,” she says.
“Puppy Friends will open doorways and new paths for our interns, and alter the lives of the cats and canines who they contact with their paintings. We’re so proud to be a part of the Puppy Friends individuals’ adventure to do good stuff for folks and pets.”