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Copyright Dublin SPCA 2023
Charity number CHY1047
Registered Charity Number 20001735
Education
Our Education Strategy acknowledges that animal welfare education and learning for both children and adults will be essential to achieving our vision where every animal is treated with compassion and respect, making it socially unacceptable to mistreat and be cruel to any animal. Through our education services, we impact over 150,000 people each year and focus on promoting kindness and empathy towards animals.
Educational talks 
Shelter Tours 
Kids Camps 
Work Experience 
Educational talks
The DSPCA provides a mixture of free virtual and in person educational talks to crèches, schools, colleges, and community groups across the country.
We can work with all ages of children and students and are happy to create an age/ability appropriate session tailored for you. At the DSPCA, we feel it’s important to educate from preschool and beyond that cruelty towards any animal is not acceptable and that animals should be treated with kindness and respect.
When you contact us to book an educational talk one of our dedicated Education Team will contact you to arrange this through Zoom, Microsoft Team, Skype or Google Classroom or in person if time and location allow.
For more information or to book your virtual educational talk, email the Education Department
Additional Needs Talks
We run a separate Programme for groups with Additional Needs. If you would like to book a talk online or in person for a group with Additional Needs we would be delighted to tailor a talk for your group.
Shelter tours
DSPCA Shelter Educational Tours
The DSPCA provides free educational tours to schools, colleges and community groups. We can work with all ages of children and students and are happy to create an age/ability appropriate session tailored for you.
Tours last 1.5 hours and include a talk and a tour around our shelter in Rathfarnham, Dublin 16 to see many of the animals, both residential and available for rehoming. The tour includes a visit to the Dog Rehoming Kennels, the Cattery, the Stable area as well as the resident goats, ducks, chickens and pigs. We will also take you on a walk around the fantastic 1.5km Perimeter Walk around the grounds of the shelter which has stunning views over Dublin City, the Hellfire Club and Dublin Bay (weather permitting). There are picnic benches where your class can have their pack lunches and enjoy the wildlife living on site.
Tours are free of charge however donations always appreciated. Group sizes must be between 10 and 30 students. Please contact us if your group is bigger or smaller before hand by emailing the Education Department
Kids camps
Join us for a fun & educational Kids Camp.
The DSPCA run kids camps for children during the school holidays. During the week your child will participate in many different activities including; arts & crafts, baking, slime making, nature trail walks & hunts.
As education is extremely important to us at the DSPCA we will include some educational presentations to help educate the younger generation on responsible dog ownership, caring for animals and animal safety and welfare and get to meet some of the animals on-site at the shelter (this will depend on what animals are in the shelter and cleared by our vets at the time of the camp).
We are extremely lucky to have a wonderful dog training team and when trainers are available they will contribute to the camps demonstrating obedience classes, fun tricks and enrichment for dogs.
All camps take place on site at the DSPCA in Rathfarnham, Dublin 16, the camp is 10am – 3pm daily.
If you have any queries before booking or for group bookings please email our camp department here
DSPCA Halloween Camp 2025
Age:7-13 years Book Here
Work experience
The DSPCA offers Work Experience for Transition Year Work Experience or Community Service students as well as Leaving Cert Applied (LCA). Work experience is Block Weeks Only and takes place on site at the DSPCA shelter in Rathfarnham, Dublin 16.
Work experience at the DSPCA animal shelter is very hands on and physical work. Students must have a keen interest in animals and should not be afraid of handling or being around them. Animals will jump up, pull on the lead, scratch, bark and require lots of exercise and are walked in all weathers – hail, rain or snow. It’s a noisy busy environment. Experience is Non-Veterinary.
To help with our work experience programme and the vital day to day rescue work that we do at our shelter, we do ask that ALL students fundraise in advance of their work experience.
Applications for 2025/2026 are now closed and our cancellation list is now full.
Please fill out the form below if you wish to be notified when our 2026/27 application process opens in late Spring 2026