The Santa Cruz SPCA (SCSPCA) recognizes that a community without pet over-population, abuse, neglect, homelessness, and other animal welfare issues begins, in part, with youth education and involvement.
Given this, we have created fun-filled programs that help young people feel engaged and inspired as they learn about animals so they can make positive choices for their community, now and for the rest of their lives.
The Santa Cruz SPCA offers a number of ways for youth to get involved.
Ignite a Love for Animals at Santa Cruz SPCA Youth Camps
This year’s winter camp theme is Great Animal Migrations. Kids will learn about which animals migrate, hibernate or adapt during the cold of Winter. They will discover why animals need to migrate and learn what they use to find their way across oceans and continents without getting lost.
The camp will educate youth on which animals travel across California on their way to warmer locations, how far they go, which animals are residents and which ones are migrants.
Camp leaders keep the activities fun, informative and engaging by using clues to find migrating animals in scavenger hunts. Campers will make paper bag puppets of animal migrants and paint giant maps to chart where the animals go.
Campers will have the opportunity to learn about and interact with numerous different animals, including shelter animals as well as other animals.
Throughout all of the Santa Cruz SPCA’s youth programs the focus is on sharing information about shelter animals, including things like the ways we train and socialize the animals to help them get adopted.
Camp runs from 9am to 3pm on Monday 12/30/24, Tuesday 12/31/24, Thursday 1/2/25 and Friday 1/3/25
Promoting Animal Welfare with Students (PAWS)
The Santa Cruz SPCA has two ongoing youth volunteering programs. Promoting Animal Welfare with Students (PAWS), for ages 7-12, and Community Service Saturdays for ages 13-15.
PAWS has two different levels. PAWS 1 is for students just starting our PAWS program and who are still learning to be comfortable around animals and to work in small groups.
You can sign up for this session if your student has never been to PAWS or has recently started their journey in one of our PAWS programs. PAWS 1 sessions meet Monday from 4-6pm for Juniors (age 7-9 yrs. old) and Tuesday from 4-6pm for Pre-Teen (10-12 yrs. old). The cost for one two-week session of PAWS 1 is $65.
PAWS 2 is for students who have a good level of experience in our PAWS program and are looking to take it a step further. Students in this group work from existing skills learned in the PAWS 1 program and gain further skill sets and a greater understanding of the bigger picture of animal welfare. PAWS 2 sessions meet on Wednesday from 4-6pm for Juniors (7-9 yrs. old) and Thursdays from 4-6pm for Pre-teens (10-12 yrs. old). Prerequisite: At least one or more sessions of PAWS 1 completed. The cost for one three-week session of PAWS 2 is $65.
Community Service Saturdays
Many area middle and high school students are required to meet a certain number of community service hours to graduate or meet college entrance goals.
We realize that these students may not have the desire, nor the ability, to commit to volunteering for the long term, so Community Service Saturdays was developed in an effort to serve our community’s youth and to allow us to benefit from their valuable volunteer time.
We can accommodate up to 12 middle and/or high students in a session who are supervised by the SCSPCA’s Humane Educator. Students will complete work such as shelter site maintenance, cleaning of the shelter site, animal enrichment, preparing food bags, dog walking and cat TLC.
Typically held on the last Saturday of the month from 10:00am until 1:00pm, our Community Service Saturdays program runs from September through May at a cost of $25 per student.
Home for the Holidays
To encourage the placement of as many of our shelter guests into permanent homes for the holidays as possible, we are running a promotion called Home for the Holidays in which participants can name their own adoption fee.
This promotion runs through year-end and focuses on the types of animals filling shelters across the US and needing second chances.
11/27-12/1 — Big Adult Dogs (over 6 months and 40lbs.)
12/4-12/8 — Adult Cats (6 months and over)
12/11-12/15 — All animals with over 30-day stays (6 months and over)
12/18-29 — ALL three categories
The opportunity to name your own adoption fee is made possible by a generous gift from Kevin Kowalkowski, a dear friend to the animals and the Santa Cruz SPCA.
Act Now for Generous Matching Programs
Gifts to the Santa Cruz SPCA made by the end of December 2024 will be matched up to $1,000 per gift, up to a total of $25,000. The community’s support has already had a remarkable impact and now there is a chance to double your gift to help the animals.
This matching gift opportunity was created by the family of longtime supporter Peggy Hillis, who was a true champion for homeless pets and a dear friend of the Santa Cruz SPCA. Visit spcasc.org/donate to support our work.
Learn More and Get Involved!
To learn more about our adoption experience and see our animals that are available for adoption, visit: spcasc.org/adoption-process
The SCSPCA is open for browsing and adoptions Wednesdays – Sundays 11am-5pm at 2601 Chanticleer Avenue, Santa Cruz.
Can’t make a permanent commitment but still want to help? Consider becoming a foster home. This can be a great experience for the whole family. spcasc.org/foster
Questions: 831.465.5000 or [email protected].
Comcast is proud to sponsor this column, which features the great work of non-profit groups supporting the Santa Cruz community.
