Kitten Central Education Department
Rescue saves lives today. Education saves lives tomorrow. The launch of the Laurie Heinz-Kurttila Memorial Education Fund marks the realization of a dream we've held since the very beginning of our organization. Through our Education Department, we will bring responsible pet ownership programs directly into local classrooms, helping students understand the causes of shelter overcrowding, the importance of spaying and neutering, and the role each of us can play in creating a more compassionate community for animals.
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Honoring Laurie's Legacy
Honoring Laurie's Legacy
Honoring Laurie's Legacy
The Laurie Heinz-Kurttila Memorial Education Fund makes this program possible. Donate to help us reach more students.
Classroom Education
Honoring Laurie's Legacy
Honoring Laurie's Legacy
Starting January 2027, we're bringing responsible pet ownership lessons to every fourth grader at participating schools.
Free Spay & Neuter
Honoring Laurie's Legacy
Free Spay & Neuter
Every student takes home a coupon for one free spay or neuter for a Placer County-owned cat.
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
About the Program
Kitten Central's Education Department brings responsible pet ownership lessons directly into local schools. Beginning in January 2027, we will visit fourth-grade classrooms in an assembly-style format, teaching students how to care for pets and why spaying and neutering matters.
Why fourth grade – Fourth graders are old enough to understand big ideas like animal overpopulation, and excited to share what they learn with their families. Reaching an entire grade at once lets us make the biggest impact.
What students learn – The responsibilities of owning a pet, the importance of veterinary care, why shelters become overcrowded, and how one family's choice to spay or neuter can prevent unwanted litters.
Free spay & neuter – Every student goes home with a goodie bag and a coupon for one free spay or neuter for a Placer County-owned cat, redeemable at our partner clinics: Animal Spay & Neuter (Auburn) and FieldHaven Feline Center (Citrus Heights).
Meet our Education Director – Yeala Edwards works with young children with disabilities and has fostered kittens for Kitten Central with her family for many years. A wife and mother of six, she brings both heart and experience to the classroom.
Schedule a visit – Teachers and principals can contact Yeala at educationdepartment@kittencentral.org or (916) 303-6951.
Support the Education Fund
The Laurie Heinz-Kurttila Memorial Education Fund makes this program possible. Your gift puts lessons in classrooms and free spay/neuter coupons in families' hands. Rescue saves lives today. Education saves lives tomorrow.