Animal Education Show Aims at Making a Big Impression

Move over, Smokey the Bear.

Another celebrity from the animal kingdom, dubbed Big Dog, made his debut Wednesday at Ventura’s Loma Vista Elementary School.

Big Dog, a 140-pound Irish wolfhound who stands three feet tall at the shoulder, is the star of a three-act animal education show created by the staff of the Ventura County Animal Regulation Department.

Just as Smokey was a real bear who evolved into a symbol for fire prevention, county animal regulation workers who created the Big Dog concept hope their massive mascot will become a larger-than-life champion for the unwanted pets that animal shelters must destroy each year.

As he made his entrance Wednesday, cries of “Whoa!” and “He’s humongous!” greeted Big Dog. Despite his size, 30 pairs of hands reached out to touch the docile dog as he lumbered into the second-grade class.

Patrick Musone, Big Dog’s handler and education officer for the Animal Regulation Department, said he chose the dog because he knew he would make a big impression as an ambassador for animals that are euthanized. In Ventura County alone, an estimated 20,000 cats and dogs were euthanized last year, officials said.

“For years, people have glossed over this,” Musone said. “I want kids to see that individuals can contribute to a solution.”

Rather than boring students with statistics, however, Musone played on their heart strings with a tale of abandoned animals and their fate.

The lights were low as Musone read from Big Dog’s velvet-covered storybook with the wolfhound relaxing at his feet. The young audience alternately giggled and looked thoughtful while volunteers Cindy Wolfsohn and Sharon Tatelman illustrated the action with felt figures on a miniature stage. The music of Mozart and Beethoven played in the background.

Between acts, Musone and volunteer helpers gave a graphic demonstration of how quickly animals can multiply by placing stuffed socks in a student’s lap. “These are Alice’s nine kittens, and these are her kittens’ kittens, and their kittens,” they said, heaping more and more socks on second-grade student Nick Mohney, who nearly disappeared beneath the pile.

Though the story, “Big Dog’s First Adventure,” is tinged with sadness, it has a happy ending that results in Big Dog’s “decision” to visit schools with a message about spaying and neutering pets.

The story also inspired a few tears when children learned that some of the homeless animals Big Dog befriends have to be killed because no one adopts them. “That’s a sad story!” said 8-year-old Matthew Fulton.

The show ended on an upbeat note, with children chiming in on Big Dog’s theme song, which Musone wrote and accompanied on his guitar.

Afterward, the four-legged star was mobbed by his new fans. But the students got photos autographed with Big Dog’s fist-sized paw print only after reciting the 10 principles of responsible pet ownership.

Promoting proper treatment of animals is not new to Ventura County. The Ojai-based Humane Society has sent volunteers into classrooms with a variety of animals for the past six years. Director Jolene Hoffman said the effort is paying off, with fewer animals being turned in at the Bryant Street shelter.

Laure Krisch, a visiting official from the Los Angeles Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, said her organization presents the same concepts in a simpler format, but that she enjoyed Musone’s approach.

“It’s wonderful,” she said after the first of Wednesday’s two shows.

Big Dog will tour throughout Ventura County, but Musone said he hopes to eventually have the show animated and syndicated on national television.

The multimedia approach was inspired by the SPCA program in Vancouver, Canada, where director Michel Weeks reported an 89% reduction in the number of animals euthanized in 1991 compared to 1974. The Vancouver organization publicizes its low-cost spaying and neutering program through school visits, cable-TV spots and “everything we can think of,” Weeks said.

Both the Animal Regulation Department and the Humane Society offer vouchers that can cut the costs of neutering pets by as much as $40. Persuading the public to use the service is Musone’s mission.

“It’s harder to change adult behavior, but this is a good children’s story,” Musone said. “Right now, we’re limited to Ventura County, but I’d like to establish Big Dog’s persona like Smokey the Bear.”