Responsible and Safe Pet Owners Program

A significant role of the Dog and Cat Management Board of SA (the Board) as outlined in section 21 of the Dog and Cat Management Act, 1995 (the Act), is to “undertake or facilitate educational programs relating to dog and cat management”. In the past five years the Board has supported the delivery of the Delta Dog Safe Program for use in South Australia to educate primary school aged children about safe interaction with dogs. The Board has determined to call for providers to develop and deliver a program specifically for the South Australian context which includes a structured learning program to teach children how to live responsibly and safely with dogs and cats. The new program will be developed for primary school children from Reception to Year Three (5-9 years of age). These students will participate in learning activities to understand the requirements of responsible dog and cat ownership and safe behaviours when interacting with dogs and cats. The program will be offered free of charge to all schools across South Australia.

The development of information is required for presentation to primary school children to educate them about animal management and what is required to own a dog or a cat, consistent with the provisions of the SA Dog and Cat Management Act 1995. Subject matter will include information regarding the benefits of microchipping, desexing and confining pets to prevent wandering.

The goal of the program is for children in Reception to Year Three to gain an understanding of following:
• Priority 1 - How to act safely around dogs
• Priority 2 - What it means to be a responsible pet owner, and
• Priority 3 - The positive role of responsibly owned pets in the community.

The Board is inviting tenders from suitably qualified individuals and/or organisations to coordinate the program, develop the educational material and deliver the program. The person(s) with responsibility for program coordination and delivery will be required to have suitable skills and knowledge to develop and deliver learning activities to school children in an effective manner that matches their learning styles.