Questions for discussion

Euro crisis 1. What does the Euro crisis story mainly explain? 2. How many years has the Euro currency been around for? 3. How many countries through Europe have the Euro

a) 10 b) 15 c) More than 20

4. What were the disadvantages of each European country having their own currency?

5. It was thought that one large currency should be more stable. True or false? 6. Which country had the Peseta before the Euro was introduced? 7. What changes had to be made when countries switched to the Euro? 8. Which world event caused the Euro currency to weaken? 9. How have the stronger European countries helped the struggling ones? 10. What do you understand more clearly since watching the BtN story?

Test your knowledge in the online Euro quiz. Go to the BtN website and follow the links.

School Chaplains

1. Discuss the main issues raised in the School Chaplains story. 2. What is a chaplain? 3. Describe the work they do in schools. 4. How many Australian schools have a chaplain? 5. Many chaplains working in schools are paid for by the _________________. 6. Why do you think some students might prefer to speak to a chaplain instead

of a teacher? 7. Why do some people think it’s wrong for chaplains to work in Government

schools? 8. What changes has the Government made to the chaplaincy program? 9. Do you think Christian chaplains should work in non-religious schools? Explain

your answer. 10. What do you now know about school chaplains that you didn’t know before

watching the BtN story?

`Is it a good idea for non-religious schools to employ Christian chaplains?’ Vote in the BtN online poll http://www.abc.net.au/btn/.

Eczema rise

1. Eczema is a condition that affects a person’s __________. 2. What are some common causes of eczema? 3. What is a skin specialist called? 4. How long has Nathan had eczema?

EPISODE 27

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SEPTEMBER 2011

5. Describe the symptoms of eczema. 6. Why is eczema common around the creases of the elbows and knees? 7. How do anti-histamines work? 8. What else can be done to control the symptoms? 9. What other conditions is eczema related to? 10. Create a facts chart about eczema.

Create your own multiple choice quiz questions about the Eczema story. Share them with other students in your class.

Fun science 1. What was the main point of the story? 2. The number of kids studying science subjects at school has

a. Increased b. Decreased c. Stayed the same

3. How were the Indigenous students in the BtN story learning about biology? 4. It’s hoped that the science activities and experiments will encourage more

Indigenous kids to consider… 5. Describe the Australian Museum science competition. 6. Briefly summarise of one of the entries in the competition. 7. Think of three adjectives to describe science. 8. How do you think more students can be encouraged to choose science

subjects at school? Explain your answer. 9. Predict what might happen if numbers of students choosing science at school

doesn’t increase. 10. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN story?

Draw a picture of what you think a scientist looks like. What scientific work does your

scientist do?

Animal shelter

1. Discuss the Animal shelter story with another student. 2. What happens when the animals first arrive at the shelter? 3. What information does a microchip contain? 4. If the dog can be identified, it is usually ________with its owner. 5. Why do they do a temperament test on dogs? 6. What other test does a dog need to have before it can be re-housed? 7. Why is desexing an animal important? 8. What are the benefits of adopting a dog or cat from an animal shelter? 9. Name three facts you learnt watching the BtN story. 10. Illustrate an aspect of the story.

Post a message on the Behind the News Guestbook http://abc.net.au/btn/guestbook.html

Fun science Focus Questions

1. What was the main point of the story? 2. The number of kids studying science subjects at school has

a. Increased b. Decreased c. Stayed the same

3. How were the Indigenous students in the BtN story learning about biology? 4. It’s hoped that the science activities and experiments will encourage more

Indigenous kids to consider… 5. Describe the Australian Museum science competition. 6. Briefly summarise of one of the entries in the competition. 7. Think of three adjectives to describe science. 8. How do you think more students can be encouraged to choose science

subjects at school? Explain your answer. 9. Predict what might happen if numbers of students choosing science at school

doesn’t increase. 10. How has your thinking changed since watching the BtN story?

Fun science Students begin by brainstorming words they associate with science. What is science? Come up with a class definition of science. Think of how your life would be different without scientific discoveries. Students can choose from the following activities

Pose a big science question as the starting point for a scientific inquiry.

Here are some examples of possible questions:

Why did dinosaurs die out?

Why is the sky blue?

How big is the universe?

Is time travel physically or logically possible?

How and why did the universe begin?

Think of creative ways to explain/answer your big science question (using

multimedia, models, video or animation).

Tell your own real scientific story that explains a concept, invention or

discovery. Make a short video or presentation that tells your science story.

Create your own mini science lesson to teach to students in another class.

The ABC’s Surfing Scientist has lots of lessons to inspire you

http://www.abc.net.au/science/surfingscientist/lessonplans/default.htm .

Carefully plan your lesson so that you are clear about what you want

students to learn. Share your lesson with a group of students in your class

or another class.

EPISODE 27

20TH

SEPTEMBER 2011

Learning Area

Science

Key learning

Students will investigate a scientific concept, invention or discovery and present their learning to other students.

Reflection

How has your view of learning science changed since completing this

investigation?

Further investigation

Draw a picture of what you think a scientist looks like. What scientific work does your

scientist do?

Related Research Links

Australian Museum – Eureka’s nurtures young scientists

http://eureka.australianmuseum.net.au/news/eurekas-nuture-young-scientists

ABC Science - The Surfing Scientist lesson plans

http://www.abc.net.au/science/surfingscientist/lessonplans/default.htm

You choose the news You choose

Students choose one of the following investigations:

Investigation One

Students will investigate how an episode of BtN is made then create their own run

down for a kids’ news program. Watch Behind, Behind the News on the BtN

website http://www.abc.net.au/btn/page/page-behindbtn.html Ask students to

record different parts of the production week on BtN.

Discuss with students who they think make the decisions about what stories will

be included on the program (Producer, Executive Producer, Journalist) and what

things might influence their decisions about what should be included.

Students then create their own run down for BtN. The transcripts in the teachers

section of the website http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.html and viewing

previous episodes of BtN, will give students a sense of how the show is structured.

Discuss with students the different types of stories covered in each show. Working

in small groups, students choose five news stories to include in their run down.

The first two or three stories should be `harder stories’ and the others are usually

softer, human interest stories. Other information that students will need to

include in their run down includes:

A brief summary of each story (2 or 3 sentences)

2 or 3 quiz questions and answers

Information that will be covered in The Wire and The Score

An online poll question that is linked to a story

Present your run down to the class giving reasons for your choices.

Investigation two

Choose your five favourite stories from this term. The stories (episodes 19-27) are

in the archives section of the website http://abc.net.au/news/btn/archives.html.

The stories will make up their top five for this term. To ensure there are a variety

of stories, students choose one from each of the following categories:

Global issue

Environment

Sport

Animal

Other

EPISODE 27

20TH

SEPTEMBER 2011

Learning Area

Society and Environment

Key learning

Students will reflect on their favourite BtN stories this term or create their own run down for a children’s news program.

Students answer the following questions:

Why did you choose the stories?

Describe the main issue/message in each story.

Why do you think children would be interested in the stories?

Why do you think the stories were chosen to be on BtN?

What would you change about the stories? Why?

Present your `Top five’ to the class. Include information about why you chose the stories and why you think the stories were chosen to be on BtN.

Related Research Links

ABC Behind the News - Transcript

http://www.abc.net.au/btn/teachers.html

End of term quiz

1. The aim of the carbon tax is

a. To make all people pay for the carbon they produce.

b. To charge companies for how much carbon they produce.

c. Turning off the electricity when companies have used too much.

2. `En Garde’ is a term used in which sport? a. Boxing b. Fencing c. Croquet

3. Phone hacking is not a criminal offence. a. True b. False

4. How much aid is the United Nations saying is needed from countries around the world a. 1 million b. 1.4 million c. 1.4 billion

5. Which is the most important quality in a police horse? a. Temperament b. Speed c. Weight

6. Ramadan is the name of a month in the Islamic calendar. a. True b. False

TTerm 3 2011

7. The Sumatran tiger is a. Threatened b. Endangered c. Extinct

8. Tooth decay is not a disease. a. True b. False

9. Which one is a sleep chemical? a. Melanin b. Keratin c. Melatonin

10. Which nuclear power plant was leaking after the earthquake earlier this year

a. Yokohama

b. Fukushima

c. Sakura

11. Which is an aerobics move?

a. Jumping Jack

b. Falling Jill

c. Jellybean

12. A medical expert who treats feet is called a a. Physiotherapist b. Podiatrist c. Cardiologist

13. Squash was popular in the a. 1960’s b. 1980’s c. 1990’s

14. The X-Games are the Olympics of…

a. Action sports b. Video games c. Chess

15. In Afghanistan, reporters are placed in units and this is called

a. Embedding

b. Infiltrating

c. Spying

16. Who is the co-founder of Apple computers

a. Bill Gates

b. Mark Zuckerberg

c. Steve Jobs

17. In which year did `9/11’ occur?

a. 2000 b. 2001 c. 2010

18. How many kids in Australia under 12 have a vision problem? a. 1 in 5 b. 1 in 10 c. 1 in 20

19. More modelling agencies are taking on plus size models. a. True b. False

20. The number of kids studying science subjects at school has

a. Increased

b. Decreased

c. Stayed the same

Answers on the following page

Answers

1. b. To charge companies for how much carbon they produce

2. b. fencing

3. b. false

4. c. 1.4 billion

5. a. temperament

6. a. true

7. b. endangered

8. b. false

9. c. Melatonin

10. b. Fukushima

11. a. Jumping Jack

12. b. podiatrist

13. b. 1980’s

14. a. Action sports

15. a. embedding

16. c. Steve Jobs

17. b. 2001

18. a. 1 in 5

19. a. True

20. b. decreased

BtN: Episode 27 Transcript

20/09/11

On this week's Behind the News.

As a big foreign currency wobbles we look at why the Euro is

on shaky ground.

Understanding eczema the condition that's getting under the

skin of more and more Aussie kids.

And making science cool some of the new tricks teachers are

using to get you hooked.

Hi I'm Nathan Bazley welcome to Behind the News. Also on the show

today we visit an animal shelter to see how they find new homes for

unwanted dogs. Before all that, let's catch up with some of the main

stories from the news this week. Tash fills us in with the Wire.

The Wire

The asylum seeker issue is still dominating the news. Julia Gillard is in a tight spot at the moment. So far, she's been unable to convince the opposition to go along with her plan to change the law on asylum seekers. At the moment her idea to send some asylum seekers to Malaysia can only happen if the law is changed. But it's not going to be easy to get everyone on side so the Prime Minister is feeling the pressure.

***

These one year old conjoined twins from Africa are going strong after being separated at a hospital in Britain. The girls were born joined at

the head. The operation had four stages and all of the surgeons involved did this job for free.

Now one month on since the surgery, the charity involved says the girls are going great.

***

And if you're a big fan of the TV show Modern Family, you're not alone. It's cleaned up at the Emmy Awards in LA. Julie Bowen took out the outstanding supporting actress in a comedy series and her partner in the TV show Ty Burrell took out the same award for the actor category. The show also came out ahead of Glee and the Big Bang Theory to win outstanding comedy series.

Euro Crisis

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: It's no surprise that many economies overseas are having a

pretty tough time at the moment. One of the worst hit right now is

the Euro which is a currency that's only been around for about 12

years and is used by more than 20 countries throughout Europe. But

does that mean the economies of all those countries are in trouble?

Well only a few are looking very shaky but there is still a chance they

could bring the whole currency crumbling down.

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: This looks like one big news year's party. But this celebration is not dedicated to a change of year; it's dedicated to a change of currency. And boy, do they look happy about it.

Fast forward and those smiles have disappeared in a lot of places. So why did these now very UNHAPPY people decide they wanted to ditch their old currencies and merge toward a new one? Well as strange as it seems now, the euro was meant to make things better.

Imagine flying from Sydney to Melbourne and needing to change your money at the airport. Imagine driving to Brisbane and having to do the same thing again. Then imagine buying something online from

South Australia and having to convert yet again. It'd get pretty annoying wouldn't it!

NATHAN: Europe is a very different continent to Australia. There are heaps of different countries all packed into a similar area. And previously, they all had different currencies.

France had the Franc, Germany had the Mark, Italy had the Lira, Spain had the Peseta and Greece had the Drachma. All up, there were more than 20 currencies in the area alone!

But there were a lot of downsides to this currency overload. The inconvenience and expense of converting it all the time was one. It especially made things hard for tourists travelling across the continent. It was also difficult for people to get jobs in other countries and for businesses to trade between areas. And with so many countries having their own small currencies, they jumped up and down in value more often; whereas one massive currency should be more stable for everyone.

Some countries weighed up all these positives and said they still weren't interested, while others took the plunge and went for it. So with that, the Euro was rolled out.

Changing a currency is no easy job, as you can imagine. People have to get used to spending different notes and coins, ATM's have to be changed and businesses have to adjust their prices.

NATHAN: But eventually the transition was completed and all of these countries stacked their currencies and their economies together, from the smallest economies at the bottom, to the biggest, most powerful at the top. Making one towering economic team!

For years the tower stayed strong, but then the Global Financial Crisis hit. First to start crumbling was the country of Greece. Then Ireland and Portugal followed. And now, even Spain and Italy are looking shaky, leaving the Euro building very close to falling.

Because the Euro currency tied all these countries together, it now leaves them all at risk if too many fail. The stronger countries on the

top of the Euro tower know this, so they've been giving billions of Euros to countries like Greece and Ireland to help support them.

But with more countries getting hard up for cash, this leaning Euro tower might not be far from a permanent collapse.

Presenter: OK, on the subject of currency let's see if you can make

sense of our quiz.

Quiz 1

The question is: What is the currency of Indonesia?

Rupiah

Ruby

Rupee

Answer: Rupiah

If you said rupee, that's actually the currency of India, Pakistan and a

few other countries. OK, we're going to have a story next.

School Chaplains

Reporter: Kirsty Bennett

INTRO: who can you can talk to when you have a problem. For most

of us it's friends, parents or teachers but in more and more schools

there's also the option of talking to the school chaplain. Kirsty takes

a look at why the government is paying for these religious workers

in schools and why not everyone’s happy about it.

KIRSTY BENNETT, REPORTER: Every Thursday morning the pads

and helmets come out. For these kids, ice hockey is a part of their

lessons. And the person bringing them here isn't a teacher or a parent

- it's a chaplain!

LUKE GREAVES, CHAPLAIN: Alright ready.

KIRSTY: It looks great fun but not all chaplains get to play ice hockey.

You'll find most around the school yards. A school chaplain helps kids

deal with issues like family breakdowns or stress.

LUKE: It's not like a selfish job it's a job you just want to do purely for

other people.

CHLOE, STUDENT: He's just always there for a good chat and stuff

always helps out.

MATT, STUDENT: The best part about is always knowing that there's

someone there that you can talk to and go to. Not just like as a

counsellor sort of person but as a friend as well. He's always there

when you need him.

KIRSTY: Chaplains can listen to kids’ problems when teachers might

not have time. If the issue is serious, the chaplain can point the kid

towards the right person to help.

AMY REID, CHAPLAIN: I'm thinking when you get those negative

thoughts happening in your head. You could think to yourself "stop".

KIRSTY: While they're a part of the school, they're not there to tell

you off so students often feel they can open up more than they would

with a teacher.

AMY: Push up your arms under let's go 1, 2, 3.

KIRSTY: And because chaplains are sometimes priests or pastors they

can answer questions that kids might have about religion. Today

almost three thousand schools have a chaplain that's around a third of

all Aussie schools. But it's not just the Christian ones; they're in public

schools too. And many of them are paid for by the government. That's

upset some people who think it's wrong for the government to be

paying for religious workers to go into public schools. They're worried

about them promoting Christianity when many kids don't even follow

that religion.

Then there's the argument that Chaplains often don't have formal

qualifications in how to deal with kids problems. While they have

experience dealing with kids, at church or Sunday school, there's a

worry that some were giving the type of advice and counselling that

should only come from a trained professional.

The Government moved to fix some of these concerns by making

changes to the National School Chaplaincy Program. Soon, schools

will be allowed to employ someone to do the chaplain's job regardless

of their religion or if they believe in God at all.

And everyone hired from here on, will need a certificate in something

like youth work. Chaplains already working that don't have one will be

paid by the government to get the qualifications. So that means that

many groups like this one will be able to continue to bond and create

strong friendships all under the watch of their local chaplain.

Presenter: OK let's make that our poll this week.

Online Poll

The question is:

Is it a good idea for non-religious schools to employ Christian

chaplains?

To vote just head to our website.

In last week's poll we asked should ads be allowed in schools. The

results are in. 41 per cent said yes. But a majority 59 per cent said no,

ads should NOT be allowed in schools. Thanks for taking part.

Eczema Rise

Reporter: Natasha Thiele

INTRO: Australia has one of the highest rates of kids with eczema

and it's rising. The latest stats say one in 4 Aussie kids now suffers

from the skin condition. So we sent Tash to find out what it is and

how you get it.

NATASHA THIELE, REPORTER: For people living with eczema, a normal day can come with an annoying itch! From the moment you wake up, to your day at school and the time you spend outdoors. Eczema is a common condition that affects people's skin and it can make life really uncomfortable. It happens when a person’s skin has an allergic reaction to something

That can be anything, sand down at the beach, animal fur on a pet and lying down on some grass. But the most common one is an allergy to dust, which can be found all over the home and at school and is difficult to get rid of completely.

Nathan has come to see a skin specialist, called a dermatologist. He's had eczema since he was a baby.

NATHAN: Basically like a giant mozzie bite all over your body.

And like mozzie bites, eczema can be really itchy. It leaves your skin red, dry and cracked and sometimes sore, especially if you've been scratching it too much. Nathan's eczema is mainly on his arms and legs which is quite common, particularly around the creases of your elbows and knees, where it can get really hot and sweaty. While

there's no known cure for eczema, there are things you can do to control the symptoms.

NATHAN: I use lots of moisturisers so it makes a protective barrier on my skin; I have to have a bath and a shower every night in this like special solution.

There are also anti-histamine tablets that can be taken to stop the itching. They work by blocking the chemical that makes you have the allergic reaction. And there are some practical things you can do to help keep eczema away.

DR YU-CHUAN LEE, DERMATOLOGIST: Cotton clothes that's important. Anything that feels like wool, looks like wool, that usually tends to irritate their skin. Having too many carpets around the house can also irritate their skin and keeping a kid's room dust-free and toy-free is useful.

So how does someone get eczema in the first place? Well, you're more likely to get it if your parents have allergies. It's related to asthma and hay fever, which are also triggered by allergic reactions. Many kids get it when they're young and sometimes it just goes away as you get older. But it is important to know that eczema isn't contagious, so there's nothing to worry about because you can't catch it from another person.

Scientists are still trying to work out why so many people suffer from eczema. In the meantime, sufferers will have to carry on doing their best to control that annoying itch!

Science Fun

Reporter: Nathan Bazley

INTRO: Science is one school subject that relates to nearly

everything in our lives. It explains everything we touch, see, smell,

hear and taste and how those things relate to each other.

Considering it's so relevant, you'd think every kid would want to

study it. But fewer kids seem to be choosing science. So here are two

ways that teachers and scientists are hoping to put their field of

expertise back on your timetable.

FRANKENSTEIN, 1931: It's alive! It's alive!

NATHAN BAZLEY, REPORTER: Crazy scientists have a lot to answer for. They don't exactly make science seem all that cool; and bad things usually happen to them at the end of movies.

But bad things are happening to the subject these days as well. The number of kids studying the sciences has dropped dramatically, so teachers and science groups are experimenting with some new ideas, to bring science back under the microscope and onto kid’s timetables.

The first idea takes us to a beautiful beach on a top end island off the Northern Territory. Now this isn't your usual science classroom! Out here, under the sun and beside the sea, Indigenous students are learning about biology with some of the best learning aids around - real life.

They fly onto this island from their boarding school back in Darwin and once here, they spend two days analysing all sorts of sea-life and plants. Teachers discovered science lessons work best when they're held like this, because these guys have a real passion for nature and the world around them. And it's not just one-way learning. The teachers get something out of it too!

TEACHER: I was fascinated to see the young children breaking open pieces of mangrove wood and breaking out the worms from those. And I'd never seen that before, that was kinda special to see them do that.

Through activities and experiments like these, it's hoped that more indigenous students will consider a career in science. And it seems to be working.

STUDENT: Yeah I do like science, I like the environment, looking after animals and describing it and studying for it.

And with a setting like this for the lesson, it's no wonder.

Our next science idea takes us to the podium of a big science award show, and this kid has just won 4000 dollars for his scientific work. So what's he done?

Each year, the Australian Museum's science awards hold a video competition for science-loving kids. And this year, the entries were nothing short of amazing.

BRANDON GIFFORD: Snakes, they live in some of the harshest terrain on earth, underground, above ground and in water. They do many things court, climb, slither and play but in this clip we'll be looking at how they hunt.

Many species envenomate their prey mainly to paralyse or slow it down until it eventually dies.

At the awards Brandon won the secondary school category with his film on snakes.

BRANDON GIFFORD: The hardest thing about filming this film was the fact that it's snakes, trying to get them to bite at the camera. They just wanted to bite me, they didn't want to have anything to do with the camera, so I'd get in close, have the camera right here, get right in close and then whoosh, they'd strike straight at my face. Don't know why!

ANASTASIA KENNETT: In my film I explain the stages that a stick insect lives through, from egg to adult.

And Anastasia won with her film on stick insects.

ANASTASIA KENNETT: Have you ever wondered how one of these little insects can turn into one of these magnificent creatures? Today, I'm going to show you how.

This female stick insect is just about to lay an egg. And this is the egg.

ANASTASIA KENNETT: The filming wasn't that easy though. The stick insects were great but I couldn't say exoskeleton. I just decided to change the word to outer skin.

Now that is the incredible life cycle of a stick insect.

So there we have two films that prove that not only is science fun, but you don't have to look like a crazy scientist doing it. Although with a snake around his neck, Brandon probably came close.

Presenter: All in the name of science but you probably shouldn't get

up close with snakes unless you're with an adult who knows what

they're doing. On the snake theme, let's have another quiz.

Quiz 2

Quiz Opener

The question is:

What is a snake?

Lizard

Reptile

Amphibian

Answer: Reptile

Lizards have limbs and ears on the outside and snakes aren't

amphibians because they don't always need access to water. OK, let's

take a look at what's been going on in the world of sport. Here's Matt

with the Score.

The Score

Brisbane rugby league captain Darren Lockyer says he'll play this

week's preliminary final despite this huge hit over the weekend. His

cheekbone was fractured when he was kneed in the face by his team

mate in the 13 to 12 win over St George Illawarra. He pushed through

the pain to kick the winning goal. He had surgery the next morning

and had three plates inserted in his face. But despite all that,

Lockyer's decided to line up for this Friday night's preliminary final

against Manly. He'll be retiring from the sport at the end of this

season.

***

Australia's last chance to make it into the Davis Cup World Group

competition is over after Lleyton Hewitt lost his match against

Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka. The Davis Cup is like a World Cup

for tennis that stretches over a year and the players play for their

country rather than individually. The Hewitt game turned into a bit of

a marathon as both players took it down to the wire. The Swiss player

won the match 4-6, 6-4, 6-7, 6-4, 6-3.

Animal Shelter

Reporter: Alfie Tieu

INTRO: Like people, cats and dogs can sometimes end up homeless.

There are lots of reasons why it can happen from being abandoned

by owners to sometimes just getting lost. Alfie went to find out what

happens to these homeless animals and what has to happen before

they can be given a new home.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: Sadly it's a familiar call-out for this animal welfare team. Two dogs, Jack and Arizona are to be taken away from an owner that can no longer afford to care for them.

STEVEN CURRIE, ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE: These ones here the owner had a litter of female puppies with their female dog and obviously as they're getting older they can't afford to feed them. And they've got no choice but to hand them over.

So it's back to the animal shelter. Here, if it's a stray dog it's checked to see if it has a microchip implant. That contains information about its owners and where they live. If the dog has one, it’s usually taken home. But for the dogs without ID it's a different story.

Before a dog can be sent to live with a new family it needs to pass a few tests to make sure it's not going to give anyone a nasty bite. First, they see how it reacts to other dogs. No problems here, given Arizona's awfully shy. Next, they test the dog's reaction to people.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: So what are you doing here with this hand on a stick?

DANI GRIFFITHS, ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE: Ok so we're just about to check her for food aggression, to make sure she isn't going to take anybody's real hand off when they try to feed her, if they have to take something away from her.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: So you're trying to move the food away from her and see what happens?

DANI GRIFFITHS, ANIMAL WELFARE LEAGUE: Yeah see how she reacts.

ALFIE TIEU, REPORTER: Looks like she's passed that test too! Then it's time for a check up from the vet, and they make sure the dog has been de-sexed. Jack and Arizona pass with flying colours.

For now they'll stay here, where wannabe dog owners can visit them. And, to increase their chances of finding a family, the dogs are also

featured on the internet or in magazine ads so people can see their picture and read a bit about them.

Lots of people believe that animal shelters put cats and dogs down if they can't find a home for them. But more and more shelters have a policy not to do that if the animal has passed the safety tests and is suitable for rehousing. So at this place there are plenty of happy endings.

COLIN AND JUDY, ADOPTERS: Well we've just lost a little dog a couple of weeks ago, which we got from here about 8 years ago, so we decided to have another one.

If you're wondering what happened to the two puppies we've been following, well there's some good news! Within days both dogs were adopted, and Jack's new owners invited us along to see him settle in.

MARK, ADOPTER: It was a hard choice, all the dogs were all sad looking faces, take me home and that sort of thing, but he was the one that struck me the most. As soon as I approached him he, came up and we sort of hit it off straight away. We definitely will have a big future with Jack, growing up with the kids as well at the same time which is great. Yeah, so he'll fit in really well, he will. I'm sure he will.

While it's sad that some cats and dogs can't find homes, thanks to animal welfare groups these happy endings are created every day.

Closer

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