The Pet Care Trust - News Releases

Every once in a while we receive "payment" for our work that is far beyond any monetary compensation. I recently received the attached letter for a high school student who attended the very first "Animals in the Classroom" workshop presented at the WWPSA Pet Industry Show in Long Beach, California, July, 1998. The teacher named in the letter (below) had called me prior to the workshop to enroll and asked if it was ok for her to bring a student to the Pet Care Trust workshop. The teacher stated that the girl was an entering sophomore, a good student and she believed that the student would "benefit" for the experience. We waived the tuition for the student (who was not eligible for the Teacher's Pet Certificate anyway) and I gave her the workshop manual. Little did I know that I was about to become an unknowing "messenger" that would help this young person, and perhaps even help direct some part of her life. The real hero in this story is the teacher. Like most teachers, Mrs. Geib must deal with issues in her classroom far beyond academics. I believe that teachers are the unsung heroes of our society.Daily they teach and care for and comfort our children, often in very difficult conditions. I feel blessed to be able to work with teachers across the nation and help them to successfully keep and care for appropriate animals in their classrooms. I am proud to be a part of the U.S. Pet Industry, Pet Care Trust Foundation and their Education Programs and proud that I work with an industry that really does care.

Note to Editor: The teacher contacted me this summer to tell me this story. I asked if the student would be willing to write me a letter and provide some photographs. The following are the student's own words, but, due to the events she describes, I have edited out her last name and the high school she attends. I will send the photos to your attention. I hope you will feature this article, as I believe it is important, for schools, teachers, students and it may even help Christine as additional support with her college applications this winter. Thanks, John Pitts, Program Manager, Pet Care Trust

My name is Christine _________, I am a senior student at ________ High School, Southern California. During the summer of 1998 I had several experiences that have literally changed my life. First, I enrolled in Mrs. Joyce Geib's summer animal care class at my school. I nearly missed attending this class because of a very scary and traumatic event. I was attacked while riding my bicycle and wound up with a major shoulder injury, a large cut behind my right ear and many physical and mental bruises. Through shear determination, I started the animal care class one week after this event. My need to heal the wounds of a rape-attempt was in part fulfilled by filling my time with work, school and friends. I was not going to let a guy with no future cheat me out of my future.

While attending the animal care class, Mrs. Geib invited me to a Pet Care Trust teachers' workshop presented by Dr. John Pitts, at the Pet Show in Long Beach, California. Since I was a student I was admitted free of charge, as I was willing to help with the slid show and hand-out materials.

At this seminar, I learned about pet mammals and birds, how to set up an aquarium and keep the fish healthy, but I also got some new ideas and information connected to Bearded Dragons and how friendly they are. Some weeks after the pet show I was more or less forced into making a decision to rescue a Bearded Dragon that only had three legs. The owner had decided to euthanize this reptile since he could not use it as a breeding animal. I was successful in nursing the dragon back to health and, after seeing him do so well it wasn't a hard decision to rescue my second Bearded Dragon. This time it was a female, who was starved, infected with coccidia, and listless with no will to live. I got advice from veterinarians and pet dealers in the reptile business who would take the time to talk to me. I used the book Dr Pitts had given me at the seminar and the reference names that were listed in the back of his book. I ended up giving her (bearded dragon #2) a special combination of medication, vitamins and food every 8 hours until she started to have enough strength to eat on her own. This process took about two weeks.

As a result of the events of the summer of 1998, my life has changed. I survived a really scary thing (the attack) and I learned about myself through my teachers and my animals. Since then, my rescued male and my rescued female Bearded Dragons have produced 12 clutches of 15 eggs or more each. The proceeds from selling these hatchlings are now in a college fund. Now, when I start attending college next fall I can spend more time focusing on my education and less time working. Now my Bearded Dragons are paying me back for saving their lives. I don't really know what I want to do in college, but whatever I do it will be related to animals and maybe even psychology and how animals affect our lives. Whatever, I really want to thank Mrs. Geib for helping me in her summer school program, for being a teacher/friend in high school and thanks to Dr. Pitts for introducing me to information about Bearded Dragons and allowing me to attend the Animals in the Classroom seminar.

Sincerely,

Christine, a Senior in High School, Orange County, Southern California

About the Teacher-Hero in this Story:
In her late 40's Mrs. Joyce Geib had an unexpected career change which allowed her to fulfill her life-long dream and ambition. Having spent twenty years as the bookkeeper in a very large and prestigious veterinary hospital in the Studio City, California, she was given an unexpected "choice" which appeared to be a disaster, but was really a blessing. Having raised her family and with her husband about to retire, Joyce decided to enroll in college and become what she always dreamed of - to be a teacher. Mrs. Geib walked into her first Southern California classroom, as a teacher, in June, 1996. The school district, recognizing her talents and past experience, created a special program focusing on the value and benefits of animals in our lives and appointed Joyce as their "Animal Care Teacher". This program is not "free time" playing with animals, but a college and work-study track program to encourage students to consider animals in their career goals. Since the inception, many graduating seniors have gone on to Community College, to Veterinary Technician Programs, have gained employment in shelters and humane societies and one student is currently enrolled at the University of California, Davis, as a pre-veterinary student. Mrs. Geib has experienced gang members who have turned into "pussy cats" while working with and caring for animals. Animals are magic and can break through barriers that may run wide and deep in the history of any child's life.

This program is a success in the public school system, in part, due an inspired teacher and in part, because of a creative school district administration. Some school administrators or school boards ban the use of animals in classrooms because of perceived risk and fear of liability impacts. It is our responsibility, as informed and educated pet industry members to provide the best and most accurate information to support schools, teachers and children.

Thank you Christine for your story and all the best in college and in your life with animals. Thank you Mrs. Geib and all teachers who take the extra step and make that extra effort to help children and thus benefit our society. Thanks to creative school districts who have developed enlightened and child/animal-safe policies which support and encourage appropriate living animals in their classrooms, and recognize the benefits which accrue from human-animal interaction.
John L. Pitts, DVM, Program Coordinator, Pet Care Trust