Youth Programming

Sharing the value of compassion is an important part of our mission. We offer humane education programming to our community’s youth, as together we build a more humane world.

Home | Youth

Browse our Youth Programming

AWS’ on-site Youth Programs, including day camps, Rescue Readers, and after school clubs are on hiatus for the 2024-2025 school year. You can find us out in the community at events and programs, sharing our love for animals and offering humane education lessons to our community’s youth.

Humane education lessons incorporate companion animals to help children grow emotionally, socially, culturally and academically. Children who are introduced to humane education are more engaged in their community, more compassionate towards those around them, and more knowledgeable about animals and the world we share.

Upcoming Youth Programs

We offer lessons and programs for children of all ages. Check out what’s coming up soon!

  • Tats 4 Tails

    Dark Harbor Tattoo & Golden Scale Tattoo present the 4th annual Tats 4 Tails, a fundraiser for ARLGP, AWS and Midcoast Humane.

    Read More
  • Microchip & Rabies Vaccine Clinic

    Free microchip and rabies clinic for dogs and cats over 12 weeks of age.

    Read More

Frequently Asked Questions

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed eu facilisis libero. Nunc blandit mollis euismod ipsum orci, eu ornare nisi imperdiet non.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed eu facilisis libero. Nunc blandit mollis euismod ipsum orci, eu ornare nisi imperdiet non. Integer et congue nulla. In sed semper ante, sit amet interdum urna.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed eu facilisis libero. Nunc blandit mollis euismod ipsum orci, eu ornare nisi imperdiet non. Integer et congue nulla. In sed semper ante, sit amet interdum urna.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed eu facilisis libero. Nunc blandit mollis euismod ipsum orci, eu ornare nisi imperdiet non. Integer et congue nulla. In sed semper ante, sit amet interdum urna.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed eu facilisis libero. Nunc blandit mollis euismod ipsum orci, eu ornare nisi imperdiet non. Integer et congue nulla. In sed semper ante, sit amet interdum urna.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed eu facilisis libero. Nunc blandit mollis euismod ipsum orci, eu ornare nisi imperdiet non. Integer et congue nulla. In sed semper ante, sit amet interdum urna.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed eu facilisis libero. Nunc blandit mollis euismod ipsum orci, eu ornare nisi imperdiet non. Integer et congue nulla. In sed semper ante, sit amet interdum urna.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Sed eu facilisis libero. Nunc blandit mollis euismod ipsum orci, eu ornare nisi imperdiet non. Integer et congue nulla. In sed semper ante, sit amet interdum urna.

You’re Invited!

Special Youth Programs with AWS

Special youth programs events take place seasonally at AWS. They are free, family-friendly lessons and celebrations for children of all ages. Unless otherwise noted, please leave family pets at home.

Check out our Youth Programs Calendar to see what special events and learning opportunities are taking place soon.

Spring Bunny Hop

Celebrate warmer days, blooming flowers, and adorable animals with AWS Youth Programs. There will be crafts, stories, face-painting, and springtime animals to meet! Free and fun for the whole family!
(Please leave family pets at home.)

Youth Parade Brigade

March with Youth Programs Coordinator, Miss Amanda, and her doodle dog, Bowie, behind the AWS van in local community parades! Children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian, and so it’s fun for the whole family. Bring a favorite stuffie or your family dog* to join in the fun! Kids receive an AWS cloth backpack and stickers to wear in the parade (as supplies last).

(*Please be sure that your entire party, including dogs, is comfortable in a parade setting before joining the AWS Parade Brigade.)

Paloween

At this FREE, non-spooky, family-friendly event, we’ll have fun crafts, a costume parade for the kiddos (parents, bring those cameras to get pics!), trick-or-treating, and a Halloween themed scavenger hunt around the AWS’ campus. The majority of the event will be held outside so please dress accordingly.

Kids, please bring your own trick-or-treat bag or pail so you can go home with lots of candy, treats, and prizes!

Kids Holiday Party

Fun for the whole family*! Get in the holiday spirit with your AWS friends. Stories, snacks, crafts, pets of all kinds and more! Bring a gift for the pets spending the holidays at AWS.

Drop in anytime! We’ll have special guests to read holiday-themed stories. Crafts run for the whole party. Pets, including cats, dogs and small animals, will be available to visit!

Youth Blog

A blog just for AWS’ youngest participants and their families! Here we feature helpful humane education projects, upcoming youth events, important announcements, fun learning opportunities and lots of ways for students to get involved with pets at AWS and those right in their community. If you’re a pet-loving student (or teacher) who wants to advocate for and learn about animals, you’ve come to the right place!

Questions?

For more information about the programs we offer our community’s youth, please email or telephone (207) 985-3244 ext. 109.

Follow Us!

@aws.maine

Caturdays are meant for Theadora! 

Theadora is a cat who knows what she wants, when she wants it. Some people call it tortitude, and she is a (dilute) tortie after all. She is lovable and playful but she also likes to have her own space and time alone. She's a fan of sitting on the window sill and is happy to watch the world go by. She does like to be petted on her head, but she's not a snuggle bug. She also doesn't care for being picked up so she likely won't become a lap cat, but she loves, loves, loves to play with her people. Fetch is her favorite game and she loves to play roughhouse with stuffed animals (and a bonus if they are filled with cat nip!)

Because of Thea's independent streak, she would do best in a home without young children. However, she'll entertain the teens and/or adults in her new home with her playful nature, her love for games (especially fetch) and all around beauty!
AWS is the safety net for lost pets in our community. Nearly every single day, we receive messages of pets getting out, or slipping a lead, or running off. And nearly every single day, we reunite found pets with their relieved owners. 

In addition to providing a safe and comfortable space for your pet when they are found, we are here to help you through the process of finding a lost pet. We have a comprehensive list of things to do when you notice your pet is missing (after you’ve reported it to AWS, of course). Please keep this list handy in the hopes that you will never need to use it. 
https://animalwelfaresociety.org/lost-and-found/#checklist
When Theadora wants affection, she makes it so! She will plant herself in your lap …. And you’ll know what to do!! 🩷
#adoptme #catlife #rightmeow #
Adoptable Daisy loooooves butt scritches!!!!#adoptme #asmr