Lessons in being a good dog owner for Bunbury residents

New dog education sessions will be held in Bunbury next month to encourage responsible dog ownership.

The sessions, run by Bunbury Animal Rescue Rehome Care (BARRC), will cover dog first aid, body language and socialisation, living in harmony with wildlife and warning signs of unwellness.

They will feature guest speakers such as Dr Felicity Harradine from Harradine & Associates.

BARRC president Patricia Perks said they wanted to support the community with education sessions and received a grant from the City of Bunbury for the sessions.

When BARRC was originated we wanted to not just rehome animals but also change the culture about animals generally and a lot of that is about positive education and people understanding how important dogs are to people in the community.

Ms Perks said the sessions were aimed at anyone who was interested in the topics.

“The sessions are about being a good canine citizen and then we’ll start to see a bit of a culture shift to be more inclusive with animals, and that also aligns with (how) animals are really important for communities and mental health generally,” she said.

“The community is so supportive of our rescue. We’re so grateful.”

BARRC will host two sessions each day on Saturday, March 7 and Saturday, March 21 — from 9am at the Bunbury markets and 12noon at Graham Bricknell Music Shell.