Education in action

John Dommers

Abstract

"There is so much to do and so little time to do what we already have to do."

"We don't have funds in our budget for humane education."

"I can't take a person out of the field or the office to service as a humane educator. I'm short of staff as it is."

Excuses, excuses and more excuses.

In the early 1970s, just after becoming president of the largest animal protection organisation in the USA, The Humane Society of the United States, John A. Hoyt stated: "For too long the humane movement in this country has been on the defensive. We have so preoccupied ourselves with responding to the consequences of cruelty and abuse, that we have neglected the more important task of building an ethical system in which kindness to animals is regarded as the norm rather than the exception".

Think about that statement for a moment ... in other words, animal protection and control agencies have been responding to and treating the symptoms instead of preventing the disease!

A well-rounded and effective animal management program not only responds to the consequences of animal abuse, it works to prevent the problems. Humane education must be an integral part of an animal management program. It should begin in-house and extend outward to the community.

This session will provide some guidelines and materials to help initiate or expand a humane education program.

About the author

John J. Dommers
Director/Coordinator
Animal Care Expos
5810 Soledad Mountain Road
La Jolla, CA 92037
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Ph: (619) 459 6131
Fx: (619) 459 7706

John J. Dommers graduated from Valparaiso University in Valparaiso, Indiana with a degree in Biology.
He was employed by the New Haven (Connecticut) public schools from 1966-1972 as a special assistant to the Supervisor of Science. He was based at the city's West Rock Nature Recreation Center and developed the country's first full-scale park-school environmental education program for elementary level students.
In 1972 John went to work for The Humane Society of the United States as the Director of Education for the New England Regional Office, covering a six state area. He later became the Society's National Director of Education and he headed the National Association for the Advancement of Humane Education, now called the National Association for Humane and Environmental Education. Later he became the New England Regional Director for the Society. In 1991 John became the Director of Animal Care Expo, the world's first full-scale trade show designed for animal rescue, sheltering, care and control personnel. The show holds the record for the largest gathering of animal sheltering and care professionals and volunteers in the world, averaging well over 1300 participants per year in its seven years of operation.
Before moving to San Diego, California from Madison, Connecticut in 1989, John taught a graduate course for teachers, Environmental Education 404, at Connecticut College in New London, CT.
John wrote and photographed a four colour book series for young people titled Focus on Pollution that was published by Xerox Education Publications. He has also written and photographed articles for the national Wildlife Federations' Ranger Rick nature magazine and several professional teacher magazines.
John's wife, Gail, is a full-time middle school teacher in La Jolla, CA. Their four sons all reside in the San Diego area.

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