Shake-A-Paw can teach life skills
Editor: The other night, I saw a story about a Kelowna youth who found a lone gosling in May who has subsequently been named Elliot. Through caring for this bird, the youth has become quite attached to the bird and describes the relationship with the bird to be helpful in terms of coping with anxiety and loneliness.
The youth was very upset after a neighbour recently reported the fact that the goose was being kept as a pet. Because it is illegal to keep wild migratory birds as pets, the goose was taken away from the youth by a local conservation officer.
I totally understand the reasons for prohibiting folks from keeping wild animals as pets. I just think that this situation could be handled in a way that honours the empathy and compassion that the youth is feeling and displaying towards the young goose. In the scheme of things, the choice to nurture another young life is a very healthy way to cope with stress and anxiety.
I just wish we lived in a world in which we could more easily set aside our tenacious hold on policy and rules and allow for creative solutions to arise that would honour the compassion and empathy this youth is displaying.
In a world where so many problems arise from people lacking compassion and empathy, it seems like a shame that this isn’t being handled in a more creative and helpful way.
This seems like a very teachable moment that may be lost. Has the youth been appreciated for caring for the goose for several months? Is the conservation officer helping the youth to understand the reasons for the law?
Is it possible for the youth to learn about wild animal sanctuaries and how he/she could perhaps volunteer at one? Is the youth being encouraged to volunteer at any of the local agencies in our city who work tirelessly nurturing the lives of different animals like the rabbits that TRACS (The Responsible Animal Care Society) takes care of?
I, along with my husband, have founded the Mary Ellen Humane Education Society.
Through our Shake-a-Paw program, we look forward to offering our six-week long program for young people ages 12 to 25 in 2018.
In Shake-a-Paw, youth can learn life skills and empathy when paired up with homeless dogs they train to improve the dog’s chances for a successful adoption.
There is a lot of very beneficial parallel learning — overseen by numerous agencies in town — when young people traumatized from abuse, neglect or homelessness are paired with animals who have been handed a similar fate.
Teachable moments are around us every day. I invite us all to keep our eyes and hearts open to them. In doing so, both youth and animals could be way better off!
Jan Dawson, Kelowna
Other safety measures are already mandatory, like seat belts, air bags, stability control systems and ABS. Autonomous driving is a few years away, but speed control could be implemented now. Cruise control can hold a specified speed. Automatic braking systems are currently available on many cars, which could be used to control excessive speed caused by gravity on downslopes. GPS navigation systems know the speed limit at any given location and some already warn you if you start to speed.
If you combine these systems, you could virtually eliminate speeding. There would have to be an override, for limited time periods, to enable safe passing. But this would be accompanied by a warning message to avoid abuse. If such a speed control system was made mandatory on all new cars photo radar would be unnecessary.
Having vehicles unable to exceed the speed limit would also save gas, reduce pollution and discourage car buyers from buying optional high horsepower motors — a win win.