Peggy A. Bender
Humane Education Specialist
City of Fort Wayne – Department of Animal Care & Control
Fort Wayne, Indiana

How long have you been working in your current career?
I have been in my current position as Humane Education Specialist for the City of Fort Wayne for 20 years, starting in 1985. I have spent 28 total years working in some aspect of childhood education. My first professional position was director over three childcare centers in Terre Haute, Indiana.  After four years, I moved back home to Fort Wayne, Indiana and accepted a position as Operations Administrator at a therapeutic recreation center for disabled children and adults and disadvantaged children.

Why did you decide to pursue this career?
The City of Fort Wayne was conducting a local search for this newly created position.  A member of City government that had become familiar with my work with United Way and the therapeutic recreation center recruited me to interview.  Developing a program that combined childhood development, animal welfare, education, and humane ethics was a strong attraction for me.  I especially liked the idea of taking a non-existent program and making it my own creation.

What traits would you say make your job “humane”? 
Like most humane educators, I take on many roles within the organization, which adds to the interest of each day. Some days I handle animals and discuss the care and needs of pets during live television and radio pet segments. Other days I write articles for brochures, publications, or our web site to inform pet owners about City animal care regulations and responsibilities.  I am the public information officer for our department, which places me as the spokesperson for media interviews regarding animal welfare issues. I produce a character education video program for a K-12 cable channel, which helps children understand, appreciate, and empathize with all life.  Through writing, public speaking, video production, and face-to-face contact with children and adults, I have an opportunity to shape attitudes and counter-balance messages that adversely affect the lives of animals and the quality of care that we extend to one another.

What kind of education and training did you get before you started your first professional job?
I attended Indiana State University to receive a K-12 teaching degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation with a concentration in adaptive physical education for the disabled.

How did you find your first job in your profession?
I was recruited by a City official that had become acquainted with my work in therapeutic horseback riding and nature programs for the disabled and for disadvantaged children.

What are your duties in your current position?
Video production, public speaking, media relations and campaigns, publications development, program facilitator, fund-raising, community outreach, supervisor for education staff and activities, and the humane education resource person for our community.

What do you like most about your job?
Twenty years of anecdotal stories that assures me that humane education does make a difference in the lives of people and the lives of animals. I love the immense variety in my position and I enjoy developing new strategies for reaching the public. Nothing beats working for a cause I truly believe in – promoting animal welfare and the safety and humane ethics taught to children and adults.

What do you like least about your job?
Always questioning if what I am doing is the most efficient, effective method for furthering the mission of our shelter. When animals continue to be discarded and cruelty cases abound, I wonder if it is possible to reach a point of work satisfaction. Each time a child is mauled by a dog, I question if anything else through education could have been done to make a difference for that child, or family, or dog owner.

What’s a typical workday like for you?
Each day varies.  I may present an animal cruelty/human violence topic to a class of police officers working as a domestic violence task force, speak to a Lions Club, coordinate a service project to benefit animals or schedule a fieldtrip with teachers or scout leaders, shoot video or edit a video in production, send out a news release and conduct interviews with the media, update our website, write and do the layout for the shelter newsletter, organize a fund-raising event or a community awareness campaign, meet with our humane education advisory council to set goals or evaluate programs, and still have time to write a grant.

What types of training or experiences do you need to keep up-to-date in your field?
Learn the key issues of animal welfare, understand the mission of my organization, and create education goals relevant to that mission. Attend conferences and workshops, network with other professionals, read national publications, and develop skills that allow me to communicate through any medium possible.  As an example, we decided that classroom visitations were not the most effective method for reaching the volumes of children in our city.  I began working with our K-12 cable channel to pursue creating a child’s video program to reach a larger audience on a monthly basis.  Now we create lobby videos that target specific customers, such as those to our animal-receiving lobby or visitors to our adoption lobby. We create staff/volunteer orientation videos, donor videos, and videos that highlight the work of our city shelter geared towards the taxpaying community to air on our government channel.  The potential is endless if you aren’t afraid to try something new.

What keeps you motivated to keep doing your work? 
I view my work as a mission.  It is a deeply felt agenda that drives me to make a difference for both animals and people through education.  I strive to find my place in the world and to make a difference in the place that I am. I don’t look to others for my motivation — it comes from a conviction within myself.

What personal traits do you think someone needs to be successful in your field?
Self-motivation, creativity, and belief in the work you do. If you don’t have the answers, seek them through others in the field. If you need support, create a collaboration group such as a humane education council or a network of teacher liaisons that can help you spread your message. If you can’t reach the schools, make yourself available to camps, after school programs, and civic groups. Dream big and never stop looking for ways to control your message and get it out to your community.

What advice would you give to a college student or other young person considering entering your field?  What advice would you give to someone who’s changing fields and is interested in a career in your profession?
To make the most of the profession, it takes longevity. Establish yourself as the expert in your field for your community, so that you are the name people think of when they need help with animals or they need a program. Know your topics and be the voice people want to hear from. Expect to experience sad moments and uncertainties, but if you can grasp the bigger picture you’ll find successes that will make it all worthwhile.  

June, 2005