Our Community Education Program is generously sponsored by Hills. Programs are held in the Christine & George R. Hearst III Community Room at the Humane Society at 3 Oakland Avenue in Menands unless otherwise noted.
2019 Education Series
There are no upcoming classes. Please check back for future announcements about our 2020 Education Series!
Humane Education Programs and Tours
The Humane Society is dedicated to educating the public about its role in animal welfare in our community and suggesting ways you and your group can help homeless, neglected and abused animals of the Capital Region.
Shelter tours and presentations may be requested using the form below. These take place on Wednesdays between 11 am and 4 pm and on Saturdays between 11 am and 2 pm. Offsite visits are scheduled according to the availability of MHHS staff or volunteers. Note: the Humane Society is not a peanut-free facility.
What to Expect During a Tour
Children's Groups
- Will view narrated, age-appropriate videos about the pet intake process (e.g. what happens when a pet comes to MHHS) and a slideshow of animals recently sheltered with us. This takes about 30 minutes, including time for questions.
- With age-appropriate questions and answers, your group will learn how and why the animals arrive at the shelter, what type of care we provide to them and how adoption works.
- Depending upon the age of the group, we will discuss issues such as animal overpopulation, the importance of spaying and neutering all pets, and the issues of animal abuse and neglect.
- A staff member or volunteer will guide your group through the cat and dog adoption areas.
- The entire presentation and tour should take about an hour.
What We Ask of You
The animal shelter is a very busy place with many activities happening at once, including animal care and customer service. Unlike our pets at home, shelter animals may be stressed or frightened. We want to ensure that their stay here is as comfortable and stress-free as possible. We are also committed to maintaining a professional, customer-friendly environment.
Groups must have responsible, adult supervision.
- No more than five children per adult in an adoption room at any time.
- Prepare your group members by asking them to refrain from making sudden and loud noises, and from touching the animals. Visitors must keep their fingers out of the kennels.
- Please ask your group to be courteous and soft-spoken while listening to the guide and visiting the animals.
Keep in mind: Just as people spread colds and viruses at work and school, so do animals here at the shelter. We do everything we can to limit the spread of disease. That's why we require everyone who touches an animal to disinfect their hands immediately after touching. There are hand sanitizer stations throughout the shelter.
Please make sure your group is adequately supervised. We do not want to jeopardize the welfare and safety of our animals, staff or visitors. We appreciate your full cooperation in order to make your visit fun, educational and safe!
What to Expect When We Visit You
We will do our best to accommodate your requests. It is best that you prepare your group ahead of time, using some of the information in the section above, "What We Ask of You." Group members should listen carefully as the speaker explains how to safely approach the animal.
Many groups ask what they can collect to help us care for the animals. You can find donation ideas on our Wish List. Thank you for your interest in our Humane Education program. We look forward to receiving your program request!
If you are a teacher, scout leader, counselor or other representative and would like to schedule a shelter tour or offsite visit for your group, please use the form below to make your request.
Offsite Humane Education Programs
Introduction to Pets and the Humane Society Pet and Read-Aloud
An MHHS volunteer will come to your school or day care center. He or she will show a brief video which showcases the pets that have passed through our doors during the past year. The volunteer will read one of several age-appropriate books about pets and their humane treatment. This program lasts about 30 minutes.
Mohawk Hudson Humane Society - Serving Pets and Their People in the Capital District
An MHHS volunteer will come to your school or organization to speak about the role of the Humane Society in our community. This program will include information about services we offer, e.g. adoption, training classes, the Safe Haven program for pets in domestic violence situations, cruelty investigation, low-cost spay/neuter program, and others. Two brief videos are shown. One video addresses the intake process for pets at MHHS and the other is a slideshow of pets that have received care at MHHS in the past year. A DVD player and a large-screen TV or LCD projector are required. This program lasts about 45 minutes.
We are proud to partner with and support these local agencies and programs