Opening Hours

Animal Viewing Hours:
(by appointment only)
Monday - Friday: 10am - 4pm
Saturday: 9am - 4pm

General Hours: 
Most Days: 9am - 5pm
Wednesdays:  10am - 5pm
CLOSED: Sundays and Public Holidays

Kids N' Kritters

Kids N' Kritters Workshops

Kids n Kritters Workshops will be back these April school holidays!

Class descriptions, timetables and bookings will be released approximately one month before the commencement of each ACT Public School Holiday period.

Workshops are quite popular and often book out quickly. If you would like to be notified as soon as bookings become available, please email us at education@rspca-act.org.au

Or, become a Junior SupPawter and enjoy early access to all workshop bookings (along with many other goodies!). Junior SupPawter applications can be found here.

Important Information

Please note that while we make every attempt to follow planned programs, there may be some days where children are unable to pat or hold animals. This is due to the nature of our shelter; many of our animals are very timid and are not ready to be handled by a group. Decisions around animal interaction are always made with the welfare of the animal as paramount. All sessions may include visits to other animals around the shelter – please let us know if there are any animals that your child is fearful of or inexperienced with.

We endeavour to keep as close to our curriculum as possible, however in the event of bad weather or not having animals suitable for the session we will alter the curriculum slightly and/or utilise staff animals. The session will still be interactive and lots of fun!

Location: 12 Kirkpatrick Street, Weston ACT 2611.

Allergy Information: Please note that while we don’t allow children to bring nuts or nut products into a KnK program, RSPCA ACT is not a nut free environment. Our dogs are sometimes given peanut butter as a treat, and this is stored in our kennels. Please advise staff if your child has a nut allergy.

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About Our Workshops

Workshops include a shelter tour along with lots of information and hands on activities. Topics vary each school holidays but may include Enrichment, Positive Dog Training, RSPCA ACT Adoptions, Cat Behaviour, or more!

We also invite other local animal loving organisations in to present workshops from time to time; this helps children to understand the bigger picture of animal care and protection within the community. These sessions also provide an opportunity to learn about more specialized animals or areas, including reptile husbandry and basic pet first aid.

Generally, a Kids n Kritters Workshop runs for two hours, and includes:

An interactive information session Based on the chosen topic, with opportunities to ask lots of questions.
A shelter tour Depending on what animals we have, we may see kittens, dogs, turtles, rats, guinea pigs or occasionally even a pig or goat!
Hands on activities based on the session topic This can include preparing lunch for dogs, socialising with kittens, creating enrichment items for rabbits, tunnels for rats or more!
A chance to revisit any animals of interest We can show them their new toys or treats, or just spend time giving them that little bit of extra love.

Kids n Kritters Workshops are suitable for animal enthusiasts aged 7 -13. We are always keen to hear any topic suggestions as well, so if there is an area that your child is particularly interested in, please let us know!

What to Bring on the Day:

  • All participants should bring their own labelled drink bottle
  • All participants must wear appropriate clothing, including long pants, enclosed footwear, a hat and sunscreen
  • Participants staying for multiple sessions should bring a snack and lunch (nut and egg free please). RSPCA does not provide food as part of our Kids n Kritters program, but we do have facilities to refill drink bottles.

Due to current COVID restrictions we will have some altered pick up/drop off arrangements for our summer workshops. Please endeavour to arrive as close to the session start time as possible and wait outside the reception area with your child. We unfortunately will not be able to allow guardians to enter the reception building with their child at any time during the session. More specific details on our COVID drop off/pick up procedures will be provided upon booking.

Our session educator and volunteers all hold Working with Vulnerable People cards and have met RSPCA requirements to attend Kids N' Kritters. For this reason parents are welcome to wait in our waiting area for the duration of the session, however are unable to attend the session with their child. Under special circumstances, you may receive permission to attend, however you are required to hold a WWVP card and pay the participant fee in full.