Cn Sunday, November 10, Emmy, Pauline, Baptiste, Lucas and Juliette, aged 12 to 14, embarked on a strange cooking: on the menu, dog food spread on licking mats, kibbles hidden in terry towels folded and knotted, and treats to look for inside toys. The recipe for distracting SPA residents by stimulating their sense of smell and their little gray cells.
This is one of the missions of the Youth Club of the SPA of Saint-Pierre-du-Mont, in the Landes. Dormant for two years due to lack of supervisors, the small structure was relaunched in February 2024. It was Édith, a volunteer who arrived in November 2023, who got it back on track. This mother of six children, dynamic and animal lover, said to herself: “It’s made for me!” »
She was joined several weeks ago by two other supervisors, Alain – an experienced volunteer who has already been a youth club supervisor in the past – and Alexis, 26, who joined the structure two months ago. These three volunteers trained by the SPA headquarters take turns with the teenagers to help them discover, in complete safety and in a fun way, the daily life of a shelter and the right actions to adopt with the animals.
“Not a leisure center”
“We supervise them, we show them what the animal world is and, above all, we do prevention so that they understand that an animal is not just cute, there is everything else aside, Edith explains: you have to take care of him, give him food, take him out, stimulate him mentally. »
“Children must have a sensitivity towards animals and want to get involved”
“The objective is to raise children's awareness of animal welfare, for them to discover how a dog or a cat is taken care of, what happens in a shelter and, above all, for them to talk about it in their family or in their school,” confirms Claire Reigneaud, the head of the Saint-Pierre SPA.
The conditions are simple: be available for the club at least two Sunday mornings per month, respect the instructions given by the supervisors and commit to the entire school year. “It’s not a recreational center,” continues the manager of the shelter. Children must have a sensitivity towards animals and want to get involved. »
A culinary workshop of another kind: licking and digging mats are prepared to keep the dogs occupied in their box.
A. Ch.
One thing is certain, this last condition is amply met by the five young people of the club. “They’re great,” says Edith. The enthusiasm of the troop is in no way dampened by the first frosts of winter. “We walk the dogs, we clean the cattery, we do a little education, we teach them basic commands,” says Emmy. After all, we all know dogs! We all have our favorite. I'm Titus, he's endearing with his long ears. »
They all “love animals” and want to contribute to their well-being. “We are here to help improve their lives in the box, to give them happiness,” confirms Pauline, 14 years old. It's not easy for them every day. »
Some are even aiming for a profession related to animals, like Lucas, who wants to become an “animal keeper in a zoo”, or Emmy, who wants to become an equine osteopath, among other things.
“No risk”
This Sunday, it is in front of Mike's box that the young people stop. Time for the other morning activity: a walk in the forest next to the refuge. Led by Alain, Édith and Alexis, they take turns holding the dog's lead, which readily lends itself to the exercise. “We choose the animals, we take no risks,” emphasizes Claire Reigneaud. It only has to be more for the shelter. We explain to children the behaviors they must have and respect the animal. The supervisor is there to ensure that everything goes well. »
Mission accomplished, Mike returns to his box after stretching his legs. Another is already waiting for the five young people before returning home: thinking about the activities to put in place for Christmas. There is no doubt that the young people will have more than one trick in their hood to brighten up the shelter this end of the year.
Additional places
With two additional supervisors for several weeks, the Youth Club can accommodate five additional teenagers. “As much as we had a lot of requests when we were closed, we didn't receive that many applications. We gave ourselves until the end of November,” explains Claire Reigneaud. Interested young people can send an email to [email protected]. A supervisor will contact them.
