PBS KIDS’ Martha Speaks is partnering with the Humane Society of the United States to celebrate the great work done by animal shelters around the country.
To celebrate this partnership, PBS will be airing a special week of shelter dog episodes, beginning Monday, October 3, 2011 on PBS KIDS (check your local listings).
Previewing the Martha Speaks episodes this week has led to many conversations and questions from my kids. We’ve been exploring and learning a lot this week about animal shelters and the Humane Society. Check out what we’ve learned on our video!
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It’s a great thing to adopt an animal from an animal shelter. You never know what fun things will happen. I found it inspiring when I discovered that Susan Meddaugh, the author of the original “Martha Speaks” book series, was inspired to write the books because of a stray dog she adopted and named Martha. “[The real-life] Martha has given me more than I could have ever imagined,” Susan explains. “What if we hadn’t adopted her? We would have missed so much. And it makes me sad to think of all the dogs in shelters, and all the love and surprises they could bring to a forever home of their own.”
When you adopt an animal and bring them into a “forever home,” it surely is a cause for celebration! It’s like welcoming a new family member! Here are some ideas to help you celebrate . . .
These tasty dog bone cookie snacks are a sure crowd pleaser. Make extra for the party goers, they will definitely want to take home a doggy-bag.
We made these tasty treats the easy way! We made brownies from a mix and sugar cookies from a mix. Just get your favorite frostings, sprinkles and a dog bone cookie cutter and you will be set. I like how the little dog bone sits on top of the brownie.
By the way, these are just people treats. You should never EVER feed a dog chocolate.
Unless it’s this kind of dog. Then it’s okay.
Make some tasty treats that Martha and your own dog would love. Here’s a recipe for some great doggy-safe treats: http://www.dogtreatrecipes.org/the-perfect-dog-biscuit-recipe.html
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More fun with Animal Shelter Printables!
I thought it would be fun to have some printables for the upcoming week, so I created these for the great celebration. Just click the pics below to view the full-size PDFs and print! These are great for a fun activity to color while watching the Shelter Dog Adoption episodes of Martha Speaks this week! Also, find a fun Martha Speaks bone bracelet activity printout at http://www.pbs.org/parents/martha/pdf/MarthaHA_BoneBracelet.pdf
To find out more about helping animals and for more activity ideas, visit http://www.pbs.org/parents/martha/helpinganimals/index.html
