General Information About Unleashed Summer Camps

Camp Hours
Camp Activities
About the Unleashed Camp Staff
Where to Go
What to Wear, What to Bring
In Case of Emergency
Frequently Asked Questions

Full-Day Camps
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Registration fee: $295
Includes: five full days of camp, plus all field trips and materials, including a T-shirt, water bottle, string backpack, and snacks. Campers are required to bring a bag lunch each day.

Half-Day Camps (sessions GV8 and WB3 ONLY)
Hours: Monday through Friday, 9:00AM-12:00PM or 1:00-4:00PM
* Campers may not register for two half-day sessions.
Registration fee: $150.
Includes: five half days of camp, including all materials, including a T-shirt, water bottle, string backpack, and snacks. Half day camps do not include field trips or lunch periods.

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Camp Activities

Boy and dog at summer camp

Unleashed is designed to be a fun, educational camp experience for kids who love animals. Each day at camp includes at least some time where kids are interacting with shelter animals, but that's only one part of the camp experience - Unleashed includes lots of other animal-related activities, too.

Campers will hear from guest speakers who may bring in their own animals (for example, a police dog or a therapy animal), and they'll learn about wildlife and exotic animals. Field trips will take them to other locations where they can learn about and interact with other kinds of animals.

Learning activities about the costs of owning a pet, being safe around animals, and more are included in each day at camp, along with animal-themed crafts and games. Campers will also participate in service projects to benefit animals, such as making beds, blankets, toys, or treats for shelter animals; decorating bandanas to spruce up shelter dogs; building feeders for wildlife; or designing posters or other materials to educate the public about animal-related issues.

Click here for a sample camp itinerary. (Half-day camps follow similar itineraries, but do not include field trips.)

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About the Unleashed Camp Staff

Each Unleashed camp is led by an AHS humane educator, assisted by 2-3 full-time summer camp counselors (typically teachers or college students studying education or a related field).

Camp staff training includes Red Cross CPR/first aid certification as well as training in safe animal handling and general emergency procedures. AHS performs background checks and driving record checks on all camp staff.

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Where and When

For addresses and directions to any of our camp locations, please click here.

Campers should enter through the main Adoption entrance at their camp location. Because our shelters do not open to the public until noon on weekdays, campers who arrive early will find the shelter doors locked. Camp staff will unlock the doors and greet arriving campers shortly before 9AM. Please note that all campers must be signed in and out by a parent or caregiver each day.

Camp hours are 9AM-4PM for full day camps, and 9AM-noon or 1PM-4PM for half-day camps. We are unable to provide extended childcare options, and children under 18 cannot be left unsupervised in our adoption areas. Please plan accordingly.

Please be prompt! On field trip days, the group may need to leave the shelter as little as 10 minutes after camp begins.

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What to Wear, What to Bring

Campers should dress in clothes that are appropriate for active, sometimes messy activities. For safety reasons, all campers must wear athletic shoes or other shoes with closed toes. Sandals and Crocs are not appropriate for many of our activities. Children wearing these shoes to camp may not be allowed to participate in all activities. All campers will be provided with an Unleashed camp T-shirt; this T-shirt must be worn each day at camp.

Your registration fee includes several items we will provide for your child: a T-shirt, water bottle, and string backpack. These items are for use during camp and should be brought to camp each day. Because many of our activities take place outdoors, sunscreen is strongly recommended. Campers are responsible for bringing and applying their own sunscreen. Unleashed activities will proceed rain or shine; campers should bring appropriate weather gear as needed. (Please label all personal items with your child's name.)

Campers in full-day camps must bring a lunch from home each day. Refrigeration is not available for campers' lunches. We will provide two snacks each day. Campers in half-day camps should not bring lunch; we will provide one snack each day for half-day camps. There will be no access to vending machines during camp; campers should bring from home any items they need for lunch, INCLUDING beverages.

We discourage all participants from bringing anything of value with them to camp. This includes money, toys, video games, iPods, etc. Campers may bring cameras, but AHS is not responsible for any damaged, lost or stolen equipment.

Campers who bring cell phones to camp should be aware of our cell phone use policy, which can be found here.

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In Case of Emergency

In case of an emergency during camp, AHS staff will contact you using the contact information you provided with your registration. If we cannot reach a parent or guardian, we will leave messages and attempt to reach the person(s) listed as emergency contacts. If any of this information needs to be updated after you have registered, please notify our staff.

If you need to reach your child during the camp day (emergencies only, please) call the AHS front desk at 763-522-4325; the receptionist can assist you in reaching camp staff at your camp location.

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