Video Script:  Getting a Pet

Location/Activity:  Person walking on street

Katie:  My name is Katie. I was walking past the Humane Society one day [we see store sign – Toronto Humane Society ENTRANCE] and I thought, I’d like to have a pet to keep me company, because I live alone. 

Skills Alert:  Decision Making, Level 2
Document Use, Level 1

Katie:  I had a few minutes to spare, so on the spur of the moment I just dropped in.

Location/Activity:  At the Humane Society

Katie: [Opens door of Humane Society and walks up to Receptionist Desk] Hi, I was just walking by and thought about getting a puppy.

Skills Alert:  Oral Communication, Level 2

Humane Society Officer:  Okay, have you put much thought into getting a dog? Do you know what size, do you know which breed? You don’t know?

Skills Alert:  Work Habits:  Customer Service
Work Habits:  Reliability

Katie:  Oh well I just saw one in the window and it looked really cute so I was thinking about picking one up.

Humane Society Officer:  Okay, well adopting an animal is a lifelong commitment and dogs could live up to twenty years. You might want to…

Katie:  Twenty years?

Humane Society Officer:  Yes, twenty years.  You might want to think about that.  Maybe you should go home, think about it…think about what kind of dog you would want, what kind of breed is conducive with your lifestyle.  I have some information here I can give you.  [Hands papers to Katie] You can go home and read about animal behaviour, and see if you’re up for the task.

Skills Alert:  Work Habits:  Initiative
Work Habits:  Working Independently

Katie:  Okay.

Humane Society Officer:  And we have a website, and it’s listed on here [Points out website on the top paper].  Check out our website.  There’s a lot of dogs, a lot of sad stories…a lot of good stories too.  So maybe one of those dogs might trip your fancy. But think about it, because it’s a lifelong commitment.

Skills Alert:  Document Use, Level 2
Reading Text, Level 3

Location/Activity:  At Katie’s Home

Katie:  [Sitting at a table with many brochures around her.]  I decided I needed to get organized and do some research before choosing a pet.  [She picks up a brochure and starts reading through it.]  I started by checking with my landlord, and I’m not even allowed to have a dog. I can have an indoor cat though.

Skills Alert:  Document Use, Level 2
Finding Information, Level 1

Katie:  [Working at her computer.]  The puppy I wanted is a Newfoundland dog…

Skills Alert:  Computer Use, Level 2

Katie:  …that can grow up to 150 pounds, [we see a calculator where she puts in 150 / 2.2 showing an answer of 68.1818] which is about 70 kilograms.

Skills Alert:  Measurement and Calculation, Level 2

Katie:  [We see a view of her apartment] One look at my apartment, and I could see it was too small for a big dog.

Skills Alert:  Numerical Estimation, Level 1

Katie:  [Working at her computer.]  After researching the costs of owning a dog…

Skills Alert:  Computer Use, Level 2
Work Habits:  Working Safely

Katie:  [Computer screen states: 

• golden retriever puppy, first on list but very hard to come by, very popular breed, also too big for apartment.
• long hair much more difficult to clean up after ]

…and calculating how much time it would take every day to walk a dog.  I thought a cat would be a good idea. [Pictures of cats are now on computer screen]

Skills Alert:  Writing, Level 1
Decision Making, Level 2

Katie:  [Excel Spreadsheet of Monthly Home Budget] I added up the expenses and checked my budget.  Cats are not too expensive to feed and they don’t need to be walked like dogs.

Skills Alert:  Computer Use, Level 2
Scheduling, Budgeting and Accounting, Level 2

Location/Activity:  At the Humane Society

Katie:  [Walks into the Humane Society with her papers and greets the Officer] Hi!

Humane Society Officer:  Hi. You’re back.

Katie:  I am. I took a look at the stuff you gave me and I decided to get a cat.

Skills Alert:  Oral Communication, Level 2

Humane Society Officer:  A cat?

Katie:  I just don’t know whether to get a kitten or an adult cat.

Humane Society Officer:  Well the cats are upstairs, so we’re going to have to go up there……and we can discuss the pro’s and con’s of getting an adult versus a kitten when we get up there, how’s that?

Katie:  Okay.

Location/Activity:  Cat Ward – 2nd Floor of Humane Society

[Katie and Humane Society Officer put on yellow medical gowns]

Skills Alert:  Work Habits:  Working Safely

Humane Society Officer:  [Katie and Humane Society Officer walk through the Cat Corridor.  Cat cages are on both sides.]  All right, there’s a lot of criteria you’re going to have to meet when you pick your cat.  We have lots of different shapes, sizes, colours of cats…ages of cats.  You know, there’s pros and cons of getting a kitten as opposed to an older cat.  An older cat’s not going to live as long but at least with the older cat you know what you’re getting, right?

Katie:  [stops at a cat cage] I like this one. He’s perfect.

Skills Alert:  Decision Making, Level 2

Humane Society Officer:  All right, let’s fill out the paper work and start the process. [Removes clip board with papers from outside of cat cage.]

Skills Alert:  Document Use, Level 2

[We see Katie using a credit card machine to pay for the cat.]

Skills Alert:  Money Math, Level 1

Location/Activity:  Katie at Veterinarian Office

[We see a sign:  Creditview Animal & Bird Hospital
                           Dr. Kevin Saidanha
                           www.567VETS.com
                                      5330]

[Katie walks up the sidewalk holding a pet crate.  She walks in the door.  We see a bird in a cage raising its wings.  We see a Veterinarian Assistant counting pills.]

Skills Alert:  Document Use, Level 1
Measurement and Calculation, Level 1
Work Habits:  Working Independently

[Katie places the pet crate on the counter in front of the Veterinarian.  The Veterinarian is working at a computer in front of the Veterinarian Assistant.] 

Skills Alert:  Work Habits:  Teamwork

Katie:  Hi there.

Veterinarian:  Hi.

Skills Alert:  Oral Communication, Level 1

Katie:  Hi.  My name’s Katie, I made an appointment.

Veterinarian:  With?

Katie:  With Mogly.

Veterinarian:  With Mogly.  [Checks the computer screen to view the appointment calendar.]

Skills Alert:  Computer Use, Level 2
Schedule or Budgeting and Accounting, Level 2

Katie:  Is this your own business?

Veterinarian:  Yes it is.

Katie:  It must be a lot of fun.

Veterinarian:  It is, but there’s a lot of work too. There’s a lot of administrative work, inventory, accounting…

Skills Alert:  Work Habits:  Entrepreneurship

[Veterinarian places cat cage on top of weigh scales.  The weight is 12.6 lbs.]

Skills Alert:  Measurement and Calculation, Level 1

[Veterinarian picks up cat cage.  We see screen shot of many different cans of cat food on a shelf.]

Katie:  [Katie and Veterinarian Receptionist looking at cans of cat food.] Wow, there are a lot of different kinds. What should Mogly have?

Veterinarian Receptionist:  Mogly should be on the regular adult diet.

Katie:  Okay.

Veterinarian Receptionist:  He could either be on the dry or the wet, or a little bit of both. You could give him a little bit in the morning and free feed him with the dry during the day.

Skills Alert:  Document Use, Level 1
Oral Communication, Level 1
Decision Making, Level 1

Katie:  Okay, I’ll take it.  [Katie picks up a bag of dry cat food.]  Thanks.

Veterinarian Receptionist:  [Working on a computer spreadsheet] Here’s your invoice. [Hands Katie the invoice]

Skills Alert:  Computer Use, Level 2
Money Math, Level 1

Katie:  [Reviews the invoice] Great. Okay, perfect.  Thanks very much.

Skills Alert:  Document Use, Level 2
Money Math, Level 2

Veterinarian Receptionist:  You’re welcome.  Have a good day.

Katie:  [Katie folds the invoice in half and places it on top of the bag of cat food.  She picks her items up and then picks up the cat crate.]  You too.  Bye bye.

Veterinarian Receptionist:  Bye.

Location/Activity:  Katie and Mogly outside the Veterinarian Office walking down the sidewalk.

Katie (to self):  Mogly didn’t seem to mind the visit and the bill was exactly the amount I was told it would be.  I have enough money left for kitty litter.