K9 Medical Detection New Zealand chief executive officer Pauline Blomfield was counting on that yesterday, when Magic the medical detection dog and trainer Lynette James visited Kavanagh College as part of K9MD’s bid to create a new education programme in Dunedin schools.
Mrs Blomfield said it was aimed at getting pupils more interested in science, and give them a behind-the-scenes look at some of the things that happen at K9MD.
"The older students will learn how many sensory receptors a dog has, how the olfactory system works, and about the anatomy of the dog.
"The younger students will learn about animal behaviour, animal welfare and the capabilities of dogs.
"This is a behind-the-scenes look at a dog’s capabilities and it’s giving the students a hands-on experience as well, by getting them to interact with the dog, and then the teacher can follow on from that.
"We’re trying to create a level of enthusiasm."
She hoped to work with Kavanagh College over the coming months to develop a formal education programme which could be rolled out to other schools around the city as part of their science curriculum.
"It would be up to other schools as to how they could see that fitting in with the curriculum and how it would fit in for them. This is really just the start."
