• Tenth-graders involved in “personal commitment” projects as part of their school curriculum receive instruction in animal care from the shelter’s workers and the RSPA vet.
• We hold adoption, education and fundraising events throughout the year in different parts of central Israel.
• The RSPA conducts a tutoring program in the Weizmann Elementary School in Rehovot. The program trains children to educate even younger children on animal-related topics. The goal is to reduce violence toward animals and humans as well as to prepare these young tutors to be leaders in their school and later in society, disseminating such values as tolerance and caring for the needy. In the coming school year, we’ll involve 10th-graders from the Katzir high school in the program. Shelter manager Keren Shatiat will provide weekly instruction to the 10th-graders, who will serve as tutors to 6th-graders from Weizmann. The 6th-graders will in turn pass on the lessons to 4th- and 2nd-graders in their school. This “fan” system will allow us to reach out to large numbers of students relative to the time spent by our staff.
• Within the framework of the tutoring program, the Weizmann school has held an Animal Activities Day that involved the entire school (see photos). We helped plan the day and provided a number of activities. In the coming year, we intend to hold such events in additional schools, as well as – hopefully – an Animal Activities Day for the entire city of Rehovot.
• With the support of the chemical factory Amgal, we are extending the tutoring program to the area of Kiryat Malakhi.
• Following reports on cat abuse in some of Rehovot's disadvantaged neighborhoods, the RSPA contacted the city's Community Centers Network. Based on the materials we provided, animal awareness topics will be incorporated into training programs for young instructors in community centers.
• RSPA Chairman Dr. Baruch Meshorer holds lectures in the Katzir high school. Their goal is to increase humane treatment of animals and to reduce violence.
• In collaboration with “Roof for Animals,” the Holon organization for the protection of animals, we have printed 11,000 copies of a flier explaining the importance of spaying. We will distribute the flier to all Rehovot junior high school students, followed by a door-to-door campaign in which our volunteers will spread the word on the crucial importance of spaying pet dogs and cats.
  

Police dog handler with Dalia, a Belgian Shepherd trained to detect drugs and explosives

Shelter manager Keren Shatiat holds a class at the Weizmann school with two RSPA dogs, Hapara (“The Cow”) and Ziv

Children petting Ziv, an RSPA dog

Board decorated with animal drawings for the Animal Activities Day

Children petting Hapara (“The Cow”), an RSPA dog

Dance of children dressed as rabbits