This hedgehog was among the animals that Most Valuable Pets brought in to share with Beaumont Middle School members of the PAWS club. Photo by Tiffany Combs
"Be prepared: K-9 is entering the building. Repeat – K-9 is entering the building.”
On this particular day, it’s not the building of a crime scene where police K-9s are entering, but instead Beaumont Middle School, where the canines and their handlers are taking part in a unique after-school club. Called Pets and Wildlife for Students (PAWS), the program is designed to provide interested students a host a of opportunities to expand their knowledge of animals and animal-related careers.
As the skilled K-9 handlers explained to the students what a day in the life of these remarkable canines might look like, a question emerges from the back of the room: “What would I need to do to prepare to become a K-9 handler, a member of the K-9 Unit?” It’s a terrific question, to be sure – for most professions related to animals, it takes several years of study and training, making middle school a good time for students to familiarize themselves with a picture of the effort that would be required should they choose to pursue certain professions. Perhaps not surprisingly, the question came from Kim Burris, the woman who started PAWS at Beaumont Middle School.
The club offers interested students a close-up view of animals they would ordinarily see only on movie screens or in magazines. Experts in various animal-related career fields educate students on the ins and outs of their jobs and answer students’ questions, and adventurous club members sometimes have the opportunity to interact directly with animals that have ranged from pythons, cheetahs and raptors to horses, cows and a therapy pig.
Burris became interested in a club of this sort when she heard about a similar one led by now-retired Scott County counselor Connie Morse many years ago, and with Morse’s assistance, got the Beaumont club up and running in 2014. Now in its fifth year, Burris, who also serves as a school social worker, leads the club with the assistance of sixth-grade science teacher Laura Wright.
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The extracurriculur club brings in a variety of experts on animals and animal-related careers each month, such as Most Valuable Pets, which brought in a variety of unique pets in January. Photo by Tiffany Combs
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The extracurriculur club brings in a variety of experts on animals and animal-related careers each month, such as Most Valuable Pets, which brought in a variety of unique pets in January. Photo by Tiffany Combs
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The extracurriculur club brings in a variety of experts on animals and animal-related careers each month, such as Most Valuable Pets, which brought in a variety of unique pets in January. Photo by Tiffany Combs
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Beaumont Middle School social worker Kim Burris (right)founded the PAWS organization in 2014. Photo by Tiffany Combs
As expected, students who apply to be members of the extracurricular club tend to be animal lovers. To apply, they are asked to state why they want to participate, describe their interests and suggest what they would like the club to bring in or do. Once accepted, club members pay a fee, which helps provide the year’s paid programming; they then have the option of applying for leadership roles, such as president or photographer, which can provide valuable leadership experience. Like many other extracurricular school clubs – speech team, chess, book or art – PAWS meets once a month after school. Students who can’t afford the fee are eligible for a waiver if they also participate in the free- or reduced-lunch program.
Some of the programming PAWS brings in, such as the Lexington Police Department K-9 Unit, is cost-free to the school, while club fees help pay for other programming, such as visits from the Natural Education History Company of the Midsouth (NHECM), whose wildlife biologists can always be expected to bring in the unexpected – on a recent visit, for example, wildlife biologist and NHECM director Bob Tarter brought along a variety of raptors, reptiles and a baby kangaroo. Club fees also allowed for a visit from the Cat Ambassadors program from the Cincinnati Zoo, which brought in an array of exotic cats; other recent presenters have included the Living Arts and Science Center and Wild Birds Unlimited. The club recently started an annual service-learning donation drive to collect food and supplies for the Powell County Animal Shelter in Clay City, Kentucky.
Since its inception, the group has not only provided students the enjoyment of up-close encounters with various types of wildlife but has also introduced them to the impact humans and animals have on one another – and the benefits animals offer humans.
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PAWS has not only provided students the enjoyment of up-close encounters with wildlife but has also introduced them to the impact humans and animals have on one another — and the benefits animals offer humans. Photo by Tiffany Combs
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PAWS has not only provided students the enjoyment of up-close encounters with wildlife but has also introduced them to the impact humans and animals have on one another — and the benefits animals offer humans. Photo by Tiffany Combs
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PAWS has not only provided students the enjoyment of up-close encounters with wildlife but has also introduced them to the impact humans and animals have on one another — and the benefits animals offer humans. Photo by Tiffany Combs
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PAWS has not only provided students the enjoyment of up-close encounters with wildlife but has also introduced them to the impact humans and animals have on one another — and the benefits animals offer humans. Photo by Tiffany Combs
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PAWS has not only provided students the enjoyment of up-close encounters with wildlife but has also introduced them to the impact humans and animals have on one another — and the benefits animals offer humans. Photo by Tiffany Combs
“PAWS has furthered animal awareness, stewardship and welfare, and [has] shown ways we can cooperate with each other to achieve mutual goals,” Burris said.
For students with an even greater interest in animals, the club offers opportunities to further pursue those interests. Burris said several former members of PAWS have interned at Locust Trace Veterinary Clinic and Locust Trace Farm to determine whether a veterinary technician or an animal husbandry career would be a good choice for them; one former member has even been accepted into veterinary school at Auburn University.
Even if the participants never pursue any type of career related to animals, Burris said, she’s glad just for students to further their understanding and appreciation for all living creatures – to see how we are all interconnected, and hopefully, encourage a desire to protect the animals and also the environment.
“If more and more people learn about PAWS, see the impact it’s having on students, how it’s giving them the feeling of being a part of something, a place where students can feel a part of the school, that’s a positive thing.”
For educators interested in starting a program similar to PAWS or for wildlife programs interested in presenting at PAWS, contact Kim Burris at kim.burris@fayette.kyschools.us.