LA County youth can learn about 4-H Oct. 15

This fall, Los Angeles County youth will have an opportunity to learn about responsible pet care, along with community service opportunities and careers related to pets, at the 2011 4-H Pet Symposium. Young people ages 5-19 and their families are encouraged to attend this FREE event. All children must be accompanied by an adult.



When: Saturday, October 15, 2011

Time: 10 am to 3 pm

Where: UC Cooperative Extension Office

4800 E. Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90022



Participating youth will learn how to appropriately train, feed and care for their dogs, cats, snakes, hamsters, frogs, turtles, potbellied pigs and even fainting goats! In addition, they will get a peek into the world of veterinary medicine. Equally important, the youth will learn how they can make a difference helping animals in their own communities.

The event’s featured speaker will be popular children’s author, Susan Lendroth. Captivated by past and future possibilities, Lendroth has authored books such as “Maneki Neko, the Tale of the Beckoning Cat,” “Calico Dorsey, Mail Dog of the Mining Camps” and “Ocean Wide, Ocean Deep.” She will be discussing and signing her book, “Calico Dorsey.”

In addition, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) will be at the symposium with its mobile unit to offer low-cost ($5 to $25) vaccinations and chipping services ($25).

“The symposium is a wonderful opportunity for youth to see and learn about a wide variety of pets, and hopefully, it will pique their interest into a possible career in veterinary science” says Dawn Fuller, 4-H program coordinator. “At the very least, they will have fun learning-by-doing with other youth in their community,” she added.

As part of the University of California Cooperative Extension, 4-H has been active for more than 100 years. 4-H has a rich history of teaching rural children to raise animals; and in recent years, 4-H has had a more urban twist, offering more than 80 projects that range from marine biology to photography.



For more information on this event, please contact Dawn Fuller at (323) 260-3859, dafuller@ucdavis.edu , and for more information on 4-H activities, please visit http://celosangeles.ucdavis.edu/4H_Youth_Development_Programs/.