75% of all pets acquired by animal control facilities are there due to lack of follow through by humans, bruised ego when their ‘training’ failed or just became too frustrating, or a complete lack of a well thought out plan. I listened to over 2,500 humans try to justify why they were dumping their dalmatians at my door.  Only 3 or 4 were remotely legitimate reasons.  THIS CAN BE CORRECTED THROUGH PROPER EDUCATION. In any case the humans go on with their lives.  The pets will likely suffer greatly and die.
 
History of 21st Century C.A.R.E.S.
Randy Warner first began rescuing Dalmatians in the 1980’s and discovered it was his calling in life. He also discovered the overwhelming need for such a service, because so many people adopt animals without giving much thought to what is involved. Once they realize the tremendous responsibility they have unwittingly taken on, many reject it and either give the pet to the pound, where it is usually destroyed, or fail to provide adequate care and attention, and itsuffers.

Randy’s first response to this every day tragedy was to establish his own rescue and shelter. He quickly reached the conclusion, however, that this no shelter could ever resolve the problem. Instead, they actually increase the problem by hiding it view and enabling people to assuage their guilt with their wallets without addressing the underlying causes. Millions of dollars are contributed each year to organizations that try to manage the abuse, neglect and over-population of companion animals. But very little attention is paid to why this terrible situation exists, and much less money is put toward trying to change the human behavior that creates it.

Randy decided to attack the disease instead of its symptoms. He began delivering humane education programs to schoolchildren in the Los Angeles area. He was shocked at how little the participants knew, but encouraged by their positive response to him, the dogs he took with him and his message. This inspired him to think bigger. In 1998 he launched 21st Century C.A.R.E.S., the United States’ first organization dedicated to teaching people how to treat pets properly. He began to plan a nationwide tour, the costs of which would be covered by marketing campaigns. The goals of the tour would be to speak with one million youth, and to replicate the program in other areas. 21st Century C.A.R.E.S. was built on the principle that people who understand what is involved in caring for a pet will either accept responsibility for treating the animals they live with properly, or they will not acquire animals to begin with. A corollary to this principle is that people who have been taught how to treat animals properly will be less tolerant of those who don’t.

Mission Statement
21st Century Animal Resource and Education Services combats pet overpopulation, abuse and neglect by delivering humane education programs to school-aged children and promoting awareness among people of all ages about how to live with and behave responsibly toward companion animals, other animals, and, by extension, each other. Millions of dollars are spent each year in this country managing the consequences of our mistreatment of animals. 21st Century C.A.R.E.S. takes a different approach, striking at the causes of such mistreatment, instead of trying to mitigate the effects. We believe it is better to attack the twin diseases of ignorance and apathy than to try to cope with the disregard for fellow creatures that is their most prevalent symptom. We do this through education and empowerment.


Core Beliefs
That the problems of abuse, neglect and overpopulation of companion animals are solvable in our lifetimes.
That most people will do the right thing when they are made to understand what the right thing is.
That investing in education and awareness is less expensive and more effective than is intervening continuously to alleviate suffering caused by people who don’t know any better.
That funds and energy spent on education pay tremendous dividends: “if you give a person a fish, you feed one person once. If you teach a person to fish, you feed many people over and over again.”


Objectives
1.    To combat abuse and neglect of companion animals, whether caused by deliberate cruelty or ignorance.
2.    To discourage accidental or recreational breeding of companion animals and to promote the compassionate sterilization of cats and dogs to reduce their overpopulation.
3.    To provide humane education programs throughout our nations' schools.
4.    To deliver “ train the trainer” programs to reach those we cannot reach directly, both in the U.S. and abroad.
5.    To work especially closely with troubled youth and at-risk teens because of the improved self-esteem, leadership ability and non-violent conflict resolution skills that humane education programs instill.
6.    To encourage the creation of humane education clubs in communities across the country and around the world.
7.    To inform all government officials about the direct and indirect advantages of providing humane education in schools, and supporting it elsewhere.
8.    To increase public awareness of the gross maltreatment of animals in this country through media coverage and to inform people of how they can help put a stop to it.
9.    To provide guidance, information and materials to anyone who wishes to learn how to live with and behave toward companion animals. To help everyone understand the responsibilities associated with having pets and give them the tools to determine whether they should undertake such responsibilities.


The Problem

The three reasons most commonly cited reasons for relinquishing dogs to the pound are: difficulty housebreaking the pet; the pet jumping up on people; the pet not walking nicely on a leash. All three of these excuses stem from lack of training. A person who has not been trained to train a puppy often blames the puppy for its lack of training. Of course, it is the person’s lack of training that is the problem.

“In 1999 adults in this country made decisions which ultimately resulted in the unnecessary killing of over 8 million adoptable pets! Our children can do better if only given the proper information. We just need to show them the 21st Century Cares! .

We need to break the chain of ignorance that allows our youth to follow the irresponsible behavior of their parents.

Before you get your next puppy, go to the local and area dog pounds 2 – 3 times to look. You just may find the dog of your dreams, dreaming of you!


Benefits
One of the most noticeable results of these programs is the development of a more sophisticated and solid moral structure for today's youth – providing them with a clearer picture, or ‘direction' from which they will navigate through life.
They will come to enjoy education more, resulting in higher attendance, more participation in the field of science, lower drop-out rates, etc

Those students who received the Humane Education program had significantly higher knowledge scores related to humane treatment of animals as well as humans and suggested awareness, empathy, and adoption of non-violent conflict resolution techniques.

Long-term change
Exponential Change
Positive influence on kids – leadership dev. Improved social skills, compassion, non-violent conflict resolution
Inexpensive
Little infrastructure required
Easy sustainability