A Home for Shelter Animals
Adopting a furry friend from an animal shelter is one of the best ways to find a new pet, and puppies and kittens typically don’t have a hard time finding a new home. But what about the animals less likely to be adopted such as elderly cats or stigmatized dog breeds?
Five Girl Scouts from Troop 111 noticed a pattern in their area of animal desirability based around age, appearance, and overall pet health. Simply put, they noticed that younger, healthier cats and dogs were being adopted faster and more regularly than their older counterparts who often require some extra care.
The Bronze Award posed the perfect opportunity for the Girl Scouts to step in and find a solution.
By making two different forms of media to spread the word about this issue in Maine, Troop 111 made their community aware, and more apt to be open to adopting the animals often left behind.
“We made a brochure and video to promote awareness and education about animals that are less likely to be adopted at the shelter such as elderly cats, or cats with leukemia, or certain dog breeds such as pit bulls and rottweilers,” says Troop Leader Angela Avery.
The Gundalow Service Unit troop also donated money to the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk to specifically help cover cost of adoption fees for animals that fit their aimed criteria.
“The girls learned about working together, doing research at the library, and working out problems when they did not always agree on how to create the project […] They also learned more about specific breeds of dogs that people are less likely to adopt and why by talking to animal shelters in southern Maine,” says Angela.
