"I was first introduced to your Dog & Child Safety Activity that is Stop, Look & Paws with our Dog Rescue Group. I am one of the East Bay Area Coordinators with NorCal Golden Retriever Rescue. We were able to use these at adoptions for families with young children. Your message is wonderful, very important, and much needed. Thank you for providing such great information.
Also, I have been an Early Childhood Educator for 16 years and I have taught first, second, and third grade. Last year, I used this activity with my third graders to help them better understand the basic canine body language. They loved the hands-on sticker book and it brought out great discussions in the classroom. I am a dog lover, have two rescue dogs of my own, and totally agree with your message and lesson for children. I would like to purchase more "Stop, Look & Paws" booklets for my students. I teach in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.
If you are ever looking for more people to join your team, I'd love to! I think it would be amazing to provide Elementary Schools with this Humane Education Program.
Thank you for all of your efforts, dedication, and hard work."
Cynthia Stevenson
East Bay Coordinator with NorCal Golden Retriever Rescue
"As the coordinator of Humane Education at the SPCA in Baltimore, Maryland, I was trilled to have discovered Kids-n-K9's Stop, Look & Paws sticker sets and classroom teacher's kit! I use them together at the shelter when schools and scout groups visit, as well in the classroom in our local schools. In only a few months I have used them for all grades 1-5. You would be surprised at how even the fifth graders really enjoy using the sticker sets and learn dog body language that can help them indicate if a dog is safe or not safe to pet. Thank you for creating this helpful tool."
Melissa Welsh
Humane Education Coordinator
"My students enjoyed the presentation which allowed them to share their own experiences, note their observations, and make decisions based on the information presented. The hands-on activities, coupled with the engaging presentation created the perfect balance between teaching and practice. The activity kit provides opportunities for students to share their knowledge and review skills at home with parents, siblings, family and friends.
Thank you again."
Mrs. DeAnn Sarlatte
Co-Principal/Kindergarten
"I teach Transitional Kindergarten at McNear Elementary in Petaluma. I too share Lesley’s passion for teaching young children about dog safety. I believe that dog safety should be a part of the primary grade curriculum at all elementary school sites. It is an important topic as many children do not know how to interact safely with dogs even when they own dogs themselves. Stop, Look & Paws sticker activity works beautifully! It can be simplified for the youngest of learners and go deeper for students that can have more complex conversations about reading the body language of dogs. In addition, they get to make decisions if the dog is safe to pet or not safe to pet based on how it looks and sort the reusable stickers. My hope is that the students can use what they learn and apply it when they go to play at the park, walk through their neighborhood or attend events where there are dogs.”
Renna Salazar
Kindergarten Teacher
“According to the Center for Disease Control, dog bites in children are the most common. As a way of giving back to the community, our family and the A.E.Z.R. Pet Hospital were happy to sponsor this information campaign in my sons’ school to increase awareness in recognizing dog body language and develop safety skills.
Ms Lesley combines her decades of teaching experience with her dog training skills to deliver an engaging and relevant presentation on Dog Body Language and Dog Safety to kids. The kids take home the informational/activity kit (the Stop, Look and Paws) which reinforces the concepts learned. I hope that more schools would incorporate activities such as this. The kids loved it Thank you Ms. Lesley!”
Ms Lesley combines her decades of teaching experience with her dog training skills to deliver an engaging and relevant presentation on Dog Body Language and Dog Safety to kids. The kids take home the informational/activity kit (the Stop, Look and Paws) which reinforces the concepts learned. I hope that more schools would incorporate activities such as this. The kids loved it Thank you Ms. Lesley!”
Elmar Zamora
Veterinarian and mother of 2 boys (ages 7 and 4)
“Lesley’s dog learning activity, STOP, LOOK & PAWS, was not only
very educational for my two sons, ages 4 and 5, it was fun, too. They
loved playing it and I felt good watching, knowing they were learning
how to be safe around all types of dogs. I think it is so important for
children to learn dog safety …even if you don’t have a dog or plan on
getting one.”
Kelley W.
Mom
“Given the high number of dog bites that occur each year, it is of utmost importance to educate children and parents about dog safety. The Kids-n-K9s “Stop, Look & Paws” educational dog safety game is the most interactive, fun and instructional tool that I have seen offered. If kids can actually have fun while learning the all-important lessons about dog behavior and safety, there is a better chance of preventing future dog bites. Every parent, educator, and person working with animals should share this important activity with children.”
Karen Censoprano
Veterinarian
“My 4 year old absolutely LOVED the sticker packet we got from Lesley! Not only was it a fun activity for her, taking the stickers on and off, putting them on the “safe” or “unsafe” side, but it served as a great teaching opportunity for me and my wife to educate her on WHY any certain dog might be okay to pet or not based on visual cues. It’s natural for children to want to run up and pet every animal they see so having a tool like the one that Kids-n-K9’s offers to help our daughter understand the potential dangers, while having fun doing it, is invaluable to us as parents. Thank you Lesley, you truly are doing a great service to families and animals alike!”
Brandon Trammell
Father
“Students understanding of dog safety was evident in the follow up pictures that they drew. Children eagerly shared personal experiences that were relevant to situations when they might approach a dog.nStudents were excited about the topic, as well as the sticker books.
Thank you again for providing us an opportunity to learn about such an important topic, and share the information with family and friends.”
Renee Ryan and Sheri Helmeuller
Meadow School Kindergarten Teachers
"Stop, Look, & Paws helped my clients keep their family dog. Their 10 year old autistic son took the Stop, Look, and Paws activity immediately and began learning how to interact more appropriately with his dog. As a professional trainer, incorporating activities that help my clients and their children learn to truly understand their dog’s behavior is critical. Stop, Look, & Paws allows me to do this in a fun way."
Amber Williams
Owner and Dog Trainer - Let's Go Dog Training
"Stop, Look & Paws is a valuable tool to provide to families with children at the time of adoption for our shelter dogs. Whether there is a child in the immediate family or extended family, Stop, Look & Paws helps young children learn appropriate times to interact or give their new dog space and time to adjust to their new home!"
Colleen Combs
Founder of Green Dog Project Rescue and King's Kastle Dog Training - Windsor, California
“Having been a veterinarian for many years I know the importance of how
to approach dogs for the safety and comfort of both dogs and people,
especially children. This activity is very valuable as a way to size up a
situation that could have a disastrous outcome. My 9 year old grandson
has been learning about this very topic for some time and this activity
really helps to make it clear that with a little knowledge and practice
before hand, dogs can be approached without fear and with an
understanding of dog body language so everyone feels safe.”
S. L. Nelson
Veterinarian
“Lesley is an advocate for animals– and children’s safety as well. I’m so proud of her creativity, advocacy, and global impacts as she fosters a wonderful quality of life for both canines and people around the world. Thank you, Lesley
Carla Richards
Dog Trainer, Golden View Dog Training
"Stop, Look & Paw is a fun way to begin the education process for kids about the care and handling of dogs. It is ideal for parents and grandparents to encourage a happy and healthy relationship between our two legged and four legged kids."
Alice Mayn
Founder of Lily's Legacy Senior Dog Sanctuary - Petaluma, California
I had a great time teaching kids about dog body language the other day. Helping prevent dog bites and teach kids to "speak dog" a little better is a very rewarding experience.
Using Lesley Zoromski "Safe to Pet, Not Safe to Pet" game makes it so much more impactful. The kids held up red papers if they thought the dog wasn't safe to pet and green ones if they thought the dog was safe; then we talked about why.
I've done a few things like this over the years and using this sticker game made it more fun and engaging.
Ryan Gwilliam
Certifited Dog Trainer - South Salt Lake, Utah
“Lesley’s joy and skill teaching children in the classroom was extraordinary! She always made each child feel special and gave them her undivided attention.”
Donna Forst M.A., CHES
Director, The Humane Education Program
- The Humane Society estimates 51% of dog bite victims are children.
- Getting bitten by a dog is the second most frequent cause of visits to emergency rooms for children according to a survey done.
- Children are also more likely than adults to need medical attention, and are far more likely to be severely injured.