BUFFALO SABRE ADAM MAIR AND WIFE ALLI TEACH CITY STUDENTS ABOUT KINDNESS TO ANIMALS, PEOPLE
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
By: Gina Browning, Director of Public Relations, 716-629-3505

Lessons of Compassion, Respect, and Off-Ice Non-Violence Taught to SPCA's "TLC" Students

Students of the SPCA's latest Teaching Love and Compassion (TLC) Program session have received special "star" treatment in recent weeks.

Buffalo Sabre Adam Mair and his wife, Alli, have been working with the SPCA and its animal cruelty prevention campaign for a number of months.  Adam has recorded public services announcements and has conducted public interviews expressing his commitment to help save the lives of abused and injured animals in this community (read the original story, here).

Alli has worked on cruelty prevention from a young person's perspective; she's worked weekly with students from the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Institute on the SPCA's TLC Program, an innovative violence prevention program that provides youth (ages 11-13) with a four-week workshop designed to increase participants' kindness, respect, caring, empathy and responsibility for both animal and human life (see photo, left) . Students are paired with animal shelter dogs that may be looking at extended shelter stays because of behavioral problems. The students learn humane dog training techniques, along with skills in communication, teamwork, conflict resolution and anger management. At the same time, the students are training and socializing the shelter dogs to increase the animals' chances of being permanently adopted.

Last Thursday, Alli brought to the classroom an extra-special guest to meet the students. Adam came to "class" with Alli to talk to the kids about why it's important to prevent violence and show kindness to all living things, at least OFF the ice! The kids had many questions for Adam, and listened intently to what he had to say about the responsibility each and every one of us have to protect both animal and human life.

"My wife Alli and I are very proud to be working with the SPCA," says Mair. "The SPCA is committed to improving the lives of animals and we are very excited to be a part of that mission."

The students, along with their student dogs, will conclude the current TLC session this Friday, March 30, at a special graduation ceremony at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Multicultural Institute, 167 East Utica Street in Buffalo. A special reception will follow at the SPCA's Tonawanda shelter.

Members of the public are always invited to watch TLC classes in progress. If you are interested in watching a future session of this important SPCA Humane Education program, please contact Humane Education Director Beth Shapiro at 716-629-3515.

YOU Can Join Adam and Alli in helping the SPCA fight animal cruelty!
READ ABOUT THE BUFFALO SABRES FOUNDATION CHALLENGE GRANT, RIGHT HERE...

-Listen to Adam's SPCA Animal Cruelty Investigations public service announcement...

-Listen to Adam's SPCA Humane Education public service announcement...


Read about the SPCA's 114th annual Poster and Creative Writing Contest for all public, private, and home school students in Erie County...