We’ve Unleashed our 2008 Summer Programs for Kids!
So much to do. Such a short summer!

This is our biggest offering of summer fun ever. Sign up now. Classes fill up fast!
(check our website at www.hsmo.org for class locations, fees and details)

Kids for Critters Camps
Each kids for Critters Camp is a week-long get-together where you’ll learn how to care for animals that make great pets, such as dogs, cats and hamsters. You’ll also learn about horses, cows, goats and other ranch animals. You’ll meet some extraordinary animals like police dogs and guide dogs, and investigate careers with animals including veterinary medicine and rescue work. On Friday, we’ll hop aboard a bus that takes us to Longmeadow Rescue Ranch in Union, Missouri to visit the rescued horses and ranch animals in our care.

Kids for Critters Camp runs Monday thru Thursday from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.; and 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. on Friday. Cost of camp is $150 per camper for one week. Select the camp that’s right for you:

June 23-27 (ages 9-11)
July 7-11 (ages 6-8)
July 21-25 (ages 9-11)
August 4-8 (ages 12-14)

Mini camps and Teen Stuff

Our Pet Etc classes are fun animal encounters where you'll learn about your favorite finned, furry or feathered friends and make a cool keepsake to take home.

1. Cozy Critters
Have a ball learning about rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and more; hamsters, ferrets and gerbils galore! Explore the wonderful world of small mammals. Find out what they need and how to care for these nocturnal animals in your home. Meet these enchanting creatures right here at HSM, as well as the experts from the Missouri House Rabbit Society and FURRY: Ferrets Underfoot Running Round You! You don’t want to miss out on having a ball of furry fun with us!
Date: Tuesday, June 17

2. Creepy Crawlers!
Ticks, ear mites and dung beetles, OH MY! Join us as we INSPECT insects! Insects and bugs are all around us! Did you know that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) allows a certain number of insect body parts in the food we eat?! YUM! Or that you have hundreds of microscopic mites crawling in your eyebrows right now? Believe it; it’s true! Most are harmless and many have important jobs that benefit humans but some insects can really BUG our beloved pets! We’ll get up close and personal with these pesky, creepy crawlers! Join us and the bug experts from the Butterfly House for this crash-course in entomology and you’ll be buggin to learn more!
Date: Wednesday, June 18

3. Barn Buddy Bonanza (Ponies ages 6-8)
(Union, MO location)
There’s nothing fowl about this camp! Slip on your boots city slickers and get ready to come on down to the rescue ranch (watch where you step)! Did you know that pigs have tested higher on intelligence tests than most other animals? Or that each rooster can recognize the crow of at least 30 other roosters? Find out much, much more at this camp! We'll take a hayride into the pasture and learn how to groom a horse! This is your chance to get your hooves on cool stuff like emu eggs, peacock feathers and goat horns! Visit with rescued pigs, chickens, goats, horses and cows. Each one of these gentle creatures has a story to tell about being rescued! This is your chance to meet the special horses rescued from the tractor-trailer accident on highway 44! They are healing and eager to make a new barn buddy..YOU!
Date: Wednesday, June 18

4. Is Being a Vet Your Best Bet?!
What do you want to be when you grow up? Most animal-loving kids think they want to be a veterinarian, which is great because it’s a fascinating job! But most kids don’t know about the other fascinating animal jobs out there. Join us and meet an animal cop, adoption counselor, dog trainer, groomer, pet sitter and veterinary surgeon! Find out how you can get paid to have fun working with animals while making their world a better place! You will get to see animal workers in action during a special behind-the scenes tour of our animal shelter and veterinary clinic! Everyone gets an A+ in this class because you care about animals and want to make a difference!!
Date: Thursday, June 19

5. Make Yourself and Rover Healthy All Over!
Join us for a dog-gone good time exploring man’s best friend…the DOG! When it comes to good health, you and your dog have more in common than you think! So roll over, right off that couch and into the Humane Society of Missouri for a fun-filled day of activities that will teach you how to take care of yourself and your canine best friend. Learn how to stop body odor and bad breath dead in its tracks, discover tasty tidbits that are healthier for both of you; Unleash your energy while learning fun ways to stay in shape and Fetch yourself a behind-the-scenes tour of the Humane Society of Missouri adoption center and veterinary medical center! This class is so jam-packed with fun that we couldn’t fit it all in in two hours so join us for three hours of fun! This class is taught by registered nurses and dieticians from St. Louis Children’s Hospital and specially trained humane educators from the Humane Society of Missouri! (You don’t have to have a dog to attend!)
Date: Tuesday, June 24

6. Day at the Pawscars!!
Your dog has the best job ever; just being your friend and companion! But there are many dogs out there who have more responsibilities than barking to alert us that someone is at the door or snuggling with us in bed to keep us warm. We invite you to join us in presenting some extroidanary animal guests with an award for their service to humans. We’re rolling out the red carpet for these animals! Look out for the Pawperratzi! Meet a bon-e-fide K-9 police team, a mounted police horse, search and rescue dog and more! There are many local animal heroes in our midst who diligently and quietly work day after day to make life better for humans. Today is their day to shine in the spotlight!
Date: Thursday, June 26

7. Tasty Treats for Pets to Eat!
Bake, stir and roll your way into the Humane Society of Missouri to make some treats for our shelter friends! Horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, birds and critters love after school snacks just like we do!! Yum! Join us as we bake and create delicious, healthy snacks for our critter friends!! Did you know that there are foods that we humans eat everyday that can make our animals friends really sick!? Join us as we make safe and healthy treats with all natural ingredients that even we two-legged creatures can eat!! Come with your sleeves rolled up, ready to get messy! We’re going to have a howling good time!
Date: Tuesday, July 1

8. Frisky Feline Friends!
If you are crazy about cats, this class is for you! We’re going to prove the many notorious cat myths wrong! Cats are loved by many around the world but they also get an unfair bad rap! Is it fact or fiction that if dropped, cats will always land on their feet? Is it a fact that cats have nine lives? Are black cats really bad luck? We already know they make fabulous companions but there is so much more to learn about America’s most popular pet, the cat! The best part is you get to meet many special cats here at the Humane Society of Missouri! Pounce, leap and slink your way to the Humane Society of Missouri to sign up for this class! >^..^<
Date: Tuesday, July 8

9. Moooving Masterpieces Created by YOU!
Animals are often the subjects of art! View some animal artwork on display and move from one Creation Station to the next in our “art studio” to create mooooving masterpieces of your very own! Have a ball taking part in Sculpture Mania, Sketch a Shelter Pet, Paint a Pet Portrait, Magical Murals and more! If you are creative and enjoy art, this is the class for you! Please come prepared to get messy!
Date: Thursday, July 10

10. Santa Paws is Coming to Town!
Pets like toys just like we do! Toys help us unleash our energy and help us exercise in fun and exciting ways! Our shelter pets need stimulation. Join us in Santa’s Workshop in July as we create toys of all kinds for pets of many shapes and sizes. We’ll make something for our furred and feathered friends and we’ll do it using as many recyclable materials that we can find. Who knew grocery bags, toilet paper rolls and old socks could be so much fun?! This is sure to be a fun way to spend a hot summer day indoors, making presents for shelter pets! You’ll get to take a present home for your pet too!!
Date: Tuesday, July 15

11. Barn Buddy Bonanza: (Mustangs: Ages 9-11)
(Union, MO location)
There’s nothing fowl about this camp! Slip on your boots city slickers and get ready to come on down to the rescue ranch (watch where you step)! Did you know that pigs have tested higher on intelligence tests than most other animals? Or that each rooster can recognize the crow of at least 30 other roosters? Find out much, much more at this camp! We'll take a hayride into the pasture and learn how to groom a horse! This is your chance to get your hooves on cool stuff like emu eggs, peacock feathers and goat horns! Visit with rescued pigs, chickens, goats, horses and cows. Each one of these gentle creatures has a story to tell about being rescued! This is your chance to meet the special horses rescued from the tractor-trailer accident on highway 44! They are healing and eager to make a new barn buddy..YOU!
Date: Wednesday, July 16

12. CSI: For the Animals
Duck beneath the yellow crime scene tape and enter the scene of a crime. This is no ordinary crime, it was committed against an animal and it’s your job, as an Assistant Animal Detective to piece the clues together and uncover the truth. Who committed the crime? What laws were broken? What was the motive? The answer is in the evidence. This class will give you an inside look into the jobs of a real-life animal cop and a veterinarian. Animal cops and veterinarians often work together to make sure justice is served for the animals. Experience their fascinating work for yourselves and learn how to take a bite out of crime!
Date: Thursday, July 17

13. Happy Tales To You
The Humane Society of Missouri makes dreams come true for animals every day! Thousands of unwanted, homeless and rescued animals come though our shelter doors each year. Many of them are hungry and skinny. Many are fearful, shy and uncertain of their future. Many are sick and in need of medical care. And due to neglect, many have matted, dirty fur. Once they arrive here at our shelter, their second chance begins. We want to share some of their tales with you! See their before and after pictures and meet some of the animals in purrson, with their new life-long families! These tales truly have happy endings! You don’t want to miss this class!
Date: Tuesday, July 22

14. Fine Feathered Friends
Spread your wings and soar on over to join us at the Humane Society of Missouri while we explore the wonderful world of birds! Get a bird’s-eye-view of some special feathered friends! We’ll meet pet birds and wild birds, big birds and small birds, plant-eating birds and meat-eating birds! You’re sure to have a good time learning about all-things-birdie, including fun facts about beaks, feet and claws! Did you know wild chickens can fly and prefer to roost up in trees at night? Make a bodacious bird feeder for your backyard birdie friends to enjoy!
Date: Thursday, July 24

15. Mooovie Mania:
Two paws up or two paws down? You decide! If you like watching animal movies, eating popcorn and sharing your opinion, this is your chance to shine! Join us as we watch clips from popular animal-related movies and explore these popular movies and their animal-related messages. If you signed up for this class last summer, don’t hesitate to join us again…we’ll watch different movies! Movies will include Underdog, Chicken Run, Flushed Away, Open Season and Dumbo.
Date: Tuesday, July 29

16. Barn Buddy Bonanza: (Clydesdales: Ages 12-14)
(Union, MO location)
There’s nothing fowl about this camp! Slip on your boots city slickers and get ready to come on down to the rescue ranch (watch where you step)! Did you know that pigs have tested higher on intelligence tests than most other animals? Or that each rooster can recognize the crow of at least 30 other roosters? Find out much, much more at this camp! We'll take a hayride into the pasture and learn how to groom a horse! This is your chance to get your hooves on cool stuff like emu eggs, peacock feathers and goat horns! Visit with rescued pigs, chickens, goats, horses and cows. Each one of these gentle creatures has a story to tell about being rescued! This is your chance to meet the special horses rescued from the tractor-trailer accident on highway 44! They are healing and eager to make a new barn buddy..YOU!
Date: Wednesday, July 30

17. Beware the Fashion Faux-Paws!
Hey there animal-loving fashionistas! Is your wardrobe screaming for an animal-friendly make-over? Being the animal-lover you are, you’d want to know if you were making a major fashion faux-paw! Join us in our design studio to make sure your wardrobe contains only animal-friendly stylish clothes and accessories! We’ll show you how to transform some un-friendly, trendy outfits into those worth barking about! It’s really easy! Utilize your personal style to design your very own one-of-a-kind fashionable purse and get the chance to do the stray-cat-strut down our runway to show it off! It’s always more fun to shop with a friend so be sure to bring one along!
Date: Thursday, July 31

18. The Call of the Wild:
Can you hear them? If you slow down and listen quietly, what animal sounds do you hear in your own backyard? You might hear the chirping of a cardinal, a squirrel scurring through the leaves, or even a bee buzzing near a flower. All animals have their own special language so they can communicate with each other! Come find out how our animal friends of the sea, sky and land communicate to send important messages back and forth to each other in the animal kingdom. Let’s find out how we can help them when they are in need! We’ve all found a baby bird who has fallen out of a nest or have seen an injured animal on the side of the highway and have felt hopeless because we didn’t know what to do. Come meet some fabulous people in our community who DO know what to do and who dedicate their lives to helping our wild animal friends like geese, wolves, bats and raccoons. Meet some special wild animal friends too!
Date: Tuesday, August 5

19. Extreme Doggie Makeover
Did you brush your teeth and hair when you woke up today? We hope so! We’re much healthier when we do! Pets are much healthier if they are groomed regularly too! Watch a doggie makeover right before your very eyes! Meet a groomer and watch her use her tools of the trade to groom a pooch from head to tail! Many of the dogs who walk through our shelter doors have matted, dirty fur and long nails because they were homeless with no one to care for them or because they were not taken care of properly by their owners. In addition to lots of love, attention and rehabilitation, many of our shelter dogs get extreme doggie makeovers so they feel better from head to dewclaw! If you’ve ever wondered what happens to your dog when you drop him off at the groomer’s, here’s your chance to see a makeover behind-the-scenes!
Date: Thursday, August 7

20. Does Your Dog Have Class?!
Whether she does or not, bring your dog to THIS class and teach her to sit, stay, speak, shake, roll over and give high fives using pawsitive reinforcement (hint: treats, praise and toys). Watch the Professional Obedience Trainers from the Humane Society of Missouri and the Greater St. Louis Training Club work their magic! They will show you how to train your lovable pooch! Who knows?! Maybe you can train him/her to make your bed and do your homework! We’ll even play fun games like musical carpet squares and hide-n-go-seek! Your pampered pooch must be dog and people-friendly, at least one year old and you must show proof of current vaccinations for your furry friend.
Date: Tuesday, August 12

21. Searching for Hidden Treasures:
Your mission, if you choose to accept it, it is to join us on a treasure hunt around the Humane Society of Missouri in search of special animals in our midst! Unroll the secret scrolls, solve the clues and use the map to find the treasures! Our job will be to search for, locate and find the animals who have been here a long time and who need a little extra help getting adopted! We have all kinds of animals living here in our shelter while they await their life-long homes. Each has unique qualities to offer their new families, but some go unnoticed. Help us find these undiscovered gems and make them shine!
Date: Thursday, August 14th

Brand New This Year…..
We are now offering HORSE CAMP Larks at Longmeadow Rescue Ranch!

Have you always wanted a horse of your very own? Come to camp and find out what it takes to care for a horse! Learn about basic feeding, care and grooming. Learn how to keep horses healthy in both body and spirit. See the equipment needed to take care of horses and learn how to be a responsible horse owner! Did you know ponies and horses are not the same?
How do you measure a horse’s height? Can you really tell how old a horse is by his teeth? Can a horse have blue eyes? Do horses have feelings? How do I know if a horse doesn’t feel well?
We’ll play fun horse-themed games and put together horse games too! Best of all, you’ll get to meet the rescued horses we’re taking care of at the ranch!
(Please note; campers will not ride the horses.)

Pretty Pony Horse Camp: for campers 6-8yrs old
Wednesday, June 25 from 10am-1pm

Clip Clop Horse Camp: for campers 9-11yrs old
Wednesday, July 9 from10am-1pm

Horse Feather Horse Camp: for campers 12-14yrs old
Wednesday, August 13 from 10am-1pm

Hey Teens! Join our P.A.C.!
the Humane Society’s summer program just for teens…
Calling all animal loving teens!! Join us this summer as we “Paws and Consider” some of the more serious issues affecting our furry, feathered and finned friends. Come meet cool guest speakers and awesome animals, eat (and make!) some snacks, and make some new friends! Classes are high-tech, but low-key, with room for all views and opinions. We’ll talk a lot, but encourage you to act as well. Each class contains two Calls to Action:
Small Step: something you can do tomorrow to make the world a better place!
Giant Leap: A bigger project for those ready to tackle it. We’ll help!

Pawsitively Pits
They risk their lives for us as search and rescue dogs. They bring us comfort as trained therapy dogs. They were once known as The Babysitter because of their wonderful way with kids…what are they?? Pit Bulls! Surprised??? Don’t believe us?? Come meet some fantastic dogs and the people that love them and walk away with a new and Pawsitive picture of these powerful pooches….
Date: Tuesday, June 24

The Beast Behind the Beauty
You look great, you really do. But did you know that your hair gel might be tested on a rabbit or that your makeup actually could be made from fish scales? Yuck!! Animals are used every day for medical research, testing beauty products and for classroom dissection. With today’s technology most of these experiments are unnecessary, not to mention totally unkind. We’ll give you the tools to bring your morning routine and your biology classroom out of the dark ages. Get to try out some of the cool alternatives on the market.
Date: July 1

The World’s a Circus
Petting zoos, Sea worlds, circuses, race tracks, movies, rodeos, aquariums…
There are literally hundreds of places where you can go get entertained by animals performing. Nothing more fun than a day at the zoo, right?? Come meet some people who’d like you to hear the other side of the story: The animals’ side. Learn about the sacrifices these animals make and how you can help make their lives better.
Date: Tuesday, July 8

More than a Meal
Of course you realize that all McNuggets were once chickens, but do you really know what happens to animals between old McDonald’s and the McDonald’s on the corner?
Let’s take a journey and visit the good, the bad and the ugly of today’s farming industry. See first hand just how funny, sweet and cuddly farm animals are. We’ll whip up some animal friendly treats together while we discuss the many ways we can make kinder choices.
Date: Tuesday, July 15

Be Their (Online!) Voice!: How to use the internet to help animals
Myspacing for mutts? Emailing for elephants? Reason to spend even MORE time on Facebook? You bet. Your parents cannot complain about your online time when you are helping to save animal lives!! Let’s take a romp around the internet and we will show you the coolest places to get educated on animal welfare issues (did you know that the Humane Society is on YouTube??) as well as where to find lots of free literature and other goodies….
Date: Tuesday, July 22

Make Your Two Cents Count
Maybe you are not counting the days ‘til you reach the legal voting age, but the animals are (well, they would be if they could count!). One of the most effective ways to change their world for the better is through legislation. It’s easier to help than you think, let’s show you how!! By the way, did you realize that you vote every single day?? Every time you choose to spend a dollar, you are telling someone: “I like what you are doing, keep it up”. Come get the scoop on how to make sure you are supporting only things that match YOUR personal values.
Date: Tuesday, July 29