Opening Hours

Animal Viewing Hours:
Monday - Saturday: 10am - 3pm

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

Our Shelter will be closed to the public the first Wednesday of each month.

RSPCA ACT School Holiday Program

 

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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 our School Holiday programs, 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.

If your child is at all unwell on the day of their session, please do not attend the shelter. We have adjusted our cancellation policy to allow for absences.

 

Download our FREE Kids Activity Book this school holidays.

Session Information

Does your child have a passion for animals?
Do you want to give them a hands-on experience at the RSPCA ACT?
Well, these April school holidays they can do just that!

Support the team in caring for our animals, while learning how to care for them correctly and protect them.

Join us for these special workshops where participants will get the chance to stop into the shoes of an Animal Care Assistant for a day. From socialising adorable kittens or puppies, to cleaning chicken coops or rabbit runs.

Junior Animal Care Assistant (6 – 10 Years)

Join the team at RSPCA ACT in our Junior Animal Care Assistant Workshop. 

This Workshop mainly focuses on the 2 of the 5 Domains - Behaviour Interactions and Mental State. 

10am - 10:10am Introduction
10:10am - 10:30am Tour
10:30am - 11:15am Enrichment Making
11:15am - 12:00pm Handing Out Enrichment and Socialising

This workshop is only for children between 6 and 10 years. If you have any questions, please email education@rspca-act.org.au.

Animal Care Assistant (11 - 16 Years)

Join the team at RSPCA ACT in our Animal Care Assistant For a Day Workshop. 

This Workshop focuses on the Five Domains of Animal Welfare - Behaviour Interactions, Mental State/Experiences, Nutrition, Physical Environment and Health.

10am Arrival

10am – 10:15am Introduction

10:15am – 10:40am Tour

10:45am – 11:15am Animal Care Task

11:15am – Morning Tea

11:30am – 12:15pm – Animal Care Task

12:15am – 12:30pm – Lunch

12:30pm – 1:30pm – Animal Care Task

1:30pm – 2:00pm – Shelter Animal Socialisation / Enrichment Making

As this is a longer session, please pack your child morning tea and lunch. Children will be supervised during this break and are not allowed to leave the group at this time.

This workshop is only for children between 11 and 16 years. If you have any questions, please email education@rspca-act.org.au.

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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.

 

About Our Workshops

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.

Workshops include a shelter tour along with lots of information and hands on activities. Topics vary each school holidays.

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, the School Holiday Program 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.

School Holiday Program sessions are suitable for animal enthusiasts aged 6 -16. 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 should bring a snack and lunch (nut and egg free please). RSPCA ACT does not provide food as part of our School Holiday program, but we do have facilities to refill drink bottles.

Please endeavour to arrive as close to the session start time as possible and wait outside the reception area with your child. 

Our session educator and volunteers all hold Working with Vulnerable People cards and have met RSPCA ACT's requirements to facilitate these programs. 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.