NEW COMMUNITY PROGRAM

On February 18, a group of eleven dogs will begin an obedience class in Cape Girardeau. What sets this class apart from other dog classes, is not only the class agenda, but the dogs themselves and the hosting location. The dogs all began as "throw aways", suffering from various forms of neglect or abuse. The class will be working not toward a graduation, but toward their Canine Good Citizen certification and the class is being hosted by the Cape Area Family Resource Center.
Another difference in this class will be the presence of several young people acting as volunteer dog handlers. These young volunteers are part of a new program being developed to educate the youth of Cape Girardeau, and encourage participation in dog related activities such as obedience.
The Cape Area Family Resource Center has dedicated itself to bringing educational programs to a section of Cape Girardeau that has very little exposure to so many things others may take for granted. This program will be the first time many of these residents will have been exposed to any animal education.
This is a cooperative effort by independent rescuers and owners. The dogs have been abandoned or come from the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri and Safe Harbor Animal Sanctuary. It is the hope of this group to begin a new awareness of what is possible when choosing to adopt a dog. It is also hoped that with a heightened awareness, 2009 can truly be the beginning of change for our companion animals. For more information, please contact Melanie Coy at mscoy@netzero.net.