RSPCA NSW is committed to empowering people through animal interaction. Over recent years, we have commenced programs to improve animal and human welfare through education and interaction. These programs have been created in collaboration with other agencies and include:

• Petspace, an eight-week program in partnership with Headspace, teaches young people about animal mental health and their care. As part of the program, young people provide care for animals in RSPCA NSW shelters as well as intrinsically learn about their own mental health by seeing improvement in both the animals and others.
• HEART (Human’s Enriching Animals for the Rehabilitation of Trauma) is an eight-week program that sees newly-arrived migrant and refugee students learn about a range of animals and how to care and interact with them. The program teaches children animal care and interaction, and also aims to improve the mental health of participants and assist with the integration into Australian life.
• Students from Youth Off The Streets schools visit our animal shelters to learn about animal care. They then put those skills to use by providing care and enrichment for the animals in our care.

To find out more about these programs or to speak to one of our staff about your organisation or an individual who has a keen interest in animals and how we may be able to assist, please email one of our RSPCA NSW Community Outreach Officers at education@rspcansw.org.au

Please note if you are interested in being part of the Petspace program listed above, recruitment for these programs is done directly through headspace Mt Druitt. Please contact them directly should you need their assistance or are interested in being part of the program.