Pre-Register Here:
Love is in the air this February with Valentine’s Day celebrations coming up, so why not learn how to show your pets some love too? The great thing about spoiling your pets is that they do not usually have expensive tastes - diamonds are definitely not a dog’s best friend! - but, of course, you do have to watch out for a few things - no boxes of chocolates, please! And to top it all off, some of the things that they love the most can be a little confusing. What are you supposed to do with a Kong after all?!
Join us for this exciting, hands-on class taught by our Board President Sherrie Hines that’s all about ways to make treats, toys, puzzle games, and more for your pets! She’ll have a wide array of commercially available toys for both dogs and cats to give you some ideas of things you can buy (along with their pros, cons, and best uses), as well as tips on how to make your own toys out of recyclable items like boxes, paper towel and toilet paper rolls, fabric, egg cartons, newspapers, paper bags, plastic bottles, and more! In fact, if you’ll bring any items like that with you, you can use them (along with items we’ll have ready for you at the shelter) to make your own creations to take home with you to give to your own pets.
Do I need to sign up to attend?
It’s not necessary to sign up, but it would absolutely help us to get everything ready if you’ll let us know that you’re coming and how many people you’ll be bringing with you! The class is just $10 per family, which will help cover the costs of materials that we’ll be using. Any proceeds leftover will go directly back to support our shelter’s life-saving mission. You can pre-register to attend the class and let us know if you have any specific interests or questions by filling out the form on the right side of this page, but you can also register on-site the day of. If you would like to go ahead and pay your $10 registration fee, you can do so by making a $10 donation online here. Please make the donation to our “General Fund” and put “Enrichment Class” in the comments section.
What if my pet isn’t a cat or dog?
While the focus of this class will be on making toys for cats and dogs, the principles will work for almost any type of pet, so if you’ve got rabbits, birds, rats, chickens, horses, goats, turtles, etc., we can give you some ideas to take home with you! At the end of the day, what we’re talking about is enrichment, which basically means that you’re creating things to improve the quality of life for an animal by encouraging them to engage in natural behaviors that they might not otherwise get to do in a home environment where their food is given to them each day in a bowl. These behaviors include foraging, scent work/searching, tracking, chasing, etc., and they are mentally stimulating challenges that can help ease boredom, make your pet more relaxed, and help them get some mental and physical exercise at the same time!
Can I bring my pet with me?
Unfortunately, due to space restrictions and the safety of everyone involved, we ask that you please leave your pet at home. But, after you’ve attended the class, you’ll have lots of different ideas for things you can make for them at home that you can try out at little to no cost whenever you want. Our pups get so excited when they know mom is making something new for them, and that’s half the fun!
Still have questions?
Email us at moaspets@gmail.com, and one of us will get back in touch with you shortly!