HUMANE EDUCATION

MIDWEST ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY has always been focused on humane education and how to raise the status of animals in our society for over 20 years. We believe that by caring about all of God's creatures we can learn to care about each other and the world around us. We are all in relationships with each other, so we believe our relationship with animals should reflect love and respect just as God loves and treats us. 

Even with the thousands of HUMANE SOCIETIES and RESCUES around the country, we continue to have a MASSIVE PET EUTHANASIA PROBLEM. So maybe it is time we as a society look at the root causes of this problem. The number one reason that pets are relinquished to shelters and rescues is due to BEHAVIOR ISSUES. It is because of this reason, we are taking a different approach about how to help animals. 

M.A.W.S. IS focused on creating and sustaining RELATIONSHIP BASED SUPPORT SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS to help more humans and animals.  We want to empower as many pet owners as possible with tools and information to help their own animals. Once they have the information they can help other humans and animals. God's work has always been done by His people, and we believe in treating everyone and their animals as we would want to be treated.

We operate under the philosophy animals have similar feelings as humans, however they are a different species so they communicate differently. Human and animal psychology is not that much different, and our focus is to help pet owners understand the problems they are having with their animals, without jeopardizing their RELATIONSHIPS, but instead actually improving the bond between them. Learning what animals are trying to tell us is key in solving or preventing problems and conflicts.

We believe good animal care and training should always involve the "LEAST INVASIVE MINIMALLY AVERSIVE" (LIMA) techniques designed to affect the animals "state of mind," so that people are not chasing problems but building a relationship with the animals so that most behavior problems fade away. Our hope is by sharing information and resources we can  focus on helping animals and their owners life a happier life, and most importantly keeping these pets in their homes. 

M.A.W.S. HUMANE PRINCIPLES IN WORKING WITH ANIMALS:

• The animals immediate needs come first, taking into account whether the animal is injured, ill, fearful, frustrated, hungry, thirsty, needing to eliminate or exercise, and ensuring the animal's needs have been met so they can concentrate on what is being asked of them. 

• Learning to interpret animals' body language, tuning into telltale signs that let you know how the animal is feeling-whether it's confusion, fear, frustration or some other emotion.  Understanding body language, and knowing what to do improves communication and keeps everyone safe.

• Learning how your actions or inaction are affecting an animal's behavior, and how to lead and guide your pet to make better, appropriate choices by teaching them the behaviors you want from them.

• Leadership means being firm but fair, working with animals not about dominating your pet so that they fear you, but we work to earn the respect of the animals and in return they offer the same respect. So that animals will choose to follow you because they love and respect you. 

• Becoming clear about your expectations for your animal, and also being honest about your abilities and commitment level that may hinder progress for both you and the animal. This way humans take responsibility for the animal that is in their care. 

• Figuring out how to affectively communicate with animals in fair and clear ways they can understand, while learning how to humanely hold them accountable for behaviors they know but refuse to comply with that may put their lives or others lives in danger.

• Using what motivates animals to create positive associations to mark what behaviors we want from the animal. While using humane systematic pressure to help them understand how to deal with the stress of the world. 

• Using pressure when an animal gets into an unhealthy state of mind, to help them shift to a healthier state and releasing pressure and adding rewards when they are in a good mental state.  

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• Setting clear rules and boundaries for an animal and learning how to give your animals humane consequences for negative/unsafe behaviors that you would like to change. Confusion is stressful for humans and animals so it is important to help your animals understand acceptable and unacceptable behavior just like we would for children. 

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• Building self confidence in animals, since life can get stressful in a world created by humans, we can continue to give our animal new coping skills to deal with various stressful situations. 

• Watching/reading our pets carefully, will set them up for success, instead of pushing them too far, too fast, too soon and giving them too much responsibility that our pets may not be ready for.

M.A.W.S. HUMANE EDUCATION MISSION:

"To empower pet owners with information, knowledge and tools to help their animals, keeping them healthy, happy and in their home.  By connecting people with resources, and teaching the humans, they will have skills for the rest of their lives. Focusing on our relationship with animals we can improve our relationships with each other, God and the world around us. Learning to respect animals and love them like God loves us, we can create long lasting positive changes in humans, animals and communities."