CHS Summer Camp 2024: Pets 101 (Grades 1-3) - July 2 -5

We offer full day camps for children in Grades 1-9. Grade level is based on the grade your child will be entering in the fall. Please note the minimum age is 6 years and your child must be fully toilet trained to attend camp.

CHS Camp is an inclusive camp and we welcome children of all abilities. Children with special needs (with or without an aid or assistant) are fully integrated into a camp group and encouraged to engage in all aspects of camp.

When considering which age group you should sign your camper up for in CHS Summer Camp, please base it off of the grade they will be going into next fall, not the grade they are currently in (and will have completed by the summer).

Due to the hard work our leaders put in to designing a week that is appropriate for the age group they are leading, we ask that you register your child into the camp based on the grade they will be going into in the Fall.

After-care (until 4:30pm) can be added for an additional fee upon checkout. The fee is $10 times the number of days the camp runs (4 or 5 days depending on the week). We do not offer before-care at this time.

Yes! We accept applications from youth aged 14-17 to apply for the Summer Camp Volunteer position. Once recruitment for this position is open, all information will be available on our website through the following link; https://www.calgaryhumane.ca/get-involved/volunteer/

A Friday Pizza Lunch is included in your registration fee. You will be able to select what kind of pizza your child would like when you register for camp. Please note that the pizza lunch fee is part of camp registration and cannot be refunded or deducted.

We aim to have all children at camp meet a minimum of 2 animals each day, and on some days of camp children have met more than this. These figures may change from day to day or week to week due to fluctuations in shelter population, animal stress levels or presentations.

An “animal interaction” is any time when an animal is brought to meet a camp group. What an animal interaction looks like largely depends on the species and temperament of the animal they are meeting.

Our staff recognize that not all children are comfortable around all types of animals and at no point will any camper be “forced‟ to interact with an animal they are uncomfortable with. The Humane Education team addresses fear of animals by providing information and education about that animal.

It is possible that your child will meet an animal at camp they feel would make an excellent pet and may ask you about this, however we do not “push” pet ownership on anyone.

Absolutely! Calgary Humane Society is a charitable organization dedicated to improving the welfare of animals and our mission is to help as many animals as we can. By choosing CHS Camp you are supporting animals in need within the Calgary community!

CHS Camp registration fees are refundable up to 30 days before the start of camp. After 30 days, camp fees are transferable. Please contact our Humane Education department to discuss options available for fee transfer.

No, we do not give a discount for missed days of camp. If you are unable to attend all days, we encourage you to check out a different week where you will be able to make all the days.

If your youth are showing any symptoms of COVID-19 or general illness, we will ask that they stay home from camp.

There is no restriction on how many weeks any child may attend CHS Camp. The camp themes change each week with different activities.

Our camp leaders are often Post-Secondary students studying areas related to child development, education, social work, psychology or animal welfare. We interview every potential candidate carefully in order to select camp leaders who are passionate about children, education and animals.

Our goal is to provide every child with a rewarding experience. At the beginning of camp, the leaders go over camp expectations and rules. Our leaders then follow our progressive discipline policy that involves problem solving, verbal warnings, and involvement of full-time staff if necessary.

In case of emergencies, we want to be sure to provide EMS with all pertinent information so they can help your child to the best of their abilities.

A typical day at camp may involve any combination of the following: creative crafts, at least two animal visits, playing games indoors and outdoors, educational activities, guest speakers, special activities. Campers will have two snack breaks and one lunch break.

Yes! Aside from meeting animals, campers will also engage in a variety of activities designed to build and challenge their knowledge of the animal world.

Calgary Humane Society uses peanut butter with our dogs as part of our stress reduction protocols and therefore we cannot be declared a “peanut-free” facility. Parents who have concerns regarding children with allergies are encouraged to contact us prior to registration if they have concerns.

Due to the nature of Calgary Humane Society’s operations and the animals in our care, availability of appropriate animals for campers to visit varies from day to day.

We select the animals met by campers on several criteria including: a successful health check, successful socialization session, polite and appropriate behavior, and personality to determine what animals would enjoy the experience of meeting 10+ eager campers.

Most children who come to CHS Camp are very good with animals! We completely understand your child’s desire to hold an animal or interact with a specific animal in the shelter. However, asking any animal to be held by 10- 15 or more campers is not a fair demand to make of many animals in our care.

CHS Members can get a discount on their camp fees! Your CHS membership must be active (not expired) and you must contact Humane Education at humane.education@calgaryhumane.ca before you register in order to receive your discount code.

Please contact us at humane.education@calgaryhumane.ca to discuss available camp subsidies.