P.E.I. Humane Society to develop new safety-video training with WCB grant

The P.E.I. Humane Society is looking to develop new safety-video training for staff and volunteers with money from a recent Workers Compensation Board grant the organization received.

Safety video project

Applications for the WCB's grants were accepted over the fall and eight organizations received more than $435,000 in grants.

The society received $26,500 to put toward creating training videos on safe animal handling. The organization estimates the project will cost about $31,000.

"There are very few organizations that provide grants for animal organizations so any opportunity that we have to do training and focus on safety and that kind of thing is a wonderful opportunity for us," said Marla Somersall, the executive director of the society on P.E.I.

The grant will be instrumental to developing and providing important training for the society's staff and volunteers, which is hard to come by elsewhere on P.E.I., she said.

Training for staff and volunteers

The videos will focus on safely handling distressed animals, de-escalating stressful situations with people who have animals picked up by the society, dealing with animals potentially carrying diseases and general safe handling of products used by the organization.

"And that's something that will be available to our staff members, to our new staff coming in, volunteers who are working with the different groups of animals that we have," Somersall said.

Although the society's staff numbers do fluctuate from season-to-season, Somersall said, they typically have about 20 staff members and anywhere between 80-100 volunteers — some who are students looking to gain professional experience.

"Which is why it's really important for us to have really good training modules so that when people are coming in we can make sure we're providing good training for new folks — and it's something they will take with them," Somersall said.

6 months to develop

Even with the video modules, Somersall said trainers will work individually with staff and volunteers "but it will be less intensive."

The society has six months to develop the safety videos and are hoping to have the new training program ready for June.

The organization is also looking to incorporate various materials from other shelters across the Atlantic provinces and are waiting to receive permission.

For Somersall, it's important for the training offered by the society to reflect the "level of risk" seen in the animals coming into the shelter.

"We do see more high-risk animals, we do rabies watch for the Department of Health and things like that. We don't have the option to not be well-trained," she said.

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