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Richmond’s Young Animal Advocates
By CHERYL LAGE
Venture out on a weekend and you’ll see them. In front of the grocery store, the hardware store, the pet supply shop, on a Carytown corner—local agencies that foster Richmond’s homeless animals and seek to find lifelong homes for them have set up lively, albeit temporary, camps.
Passersby have the opportunity not only to admire and offer an occasional head pat, but also to adopt a new family member. Growing numbers of our area’s youth are helping to facilitate those unions.
Kids Can Contribute
Whatever the motivator (catalyst), seriously (doggedly) determined kids—with
their parents’ support—can find an animal-aiding organization to benefit
from their help. The goal of placing countless pets into loving homes
requires extensive legwork, abundant arm work and lots of leash work.
When asked what kids can do to genuinely help, Courtney Morano, president of
the Henrico Humane Society (HHS), responds, “[Young helpers can] assist at
adoption stands by helping set up and break down, filling water bowls,
walking dogs, cleaning crates and providing love and attention to the
animals. We also encourage students to organize donation drives for food and
supplies, or do a bake sale or something to raise money.”
Serving at an animal adoption stand is one of the more visible ways for kids
to lend a hand, but there are unseen opportunities as well. Phyllis Harris,
humane education coordinator with the Richmond SPCA offers, “[Kids who] come
in … to volunteer [can] lend a hand with the laundry, cleaning, making
adoption signs for available animals and bathing animals.”
Sisters Jessi and Lydia Puryear have done just that. Lydia, 8, says, “We
collected towels and played with the dogs and cats.”
Opportunities Abound
Students can also provide support from their own homes and in their daily
interactions. Erin Van Vleet, SPCA manager of volunteers and programs,
elucidates that kids can help teach their peers about dog-bite safety, pet
overpopulation and how shelters work. Additionally, they might make homemade
dog treats and encourage family and friends to adopt a shelter pet, as
opposed to a breeder-raised animal.
Baking for people isn’t such a bad idea either! Debra Allan, Animal Adoption
and Rescue Foundation (AARF) volunteer coordinator, relays the story of
Camille Moore, a young girl with a desire to help. She singlehandedly held a
bake sale at her home, raising $58 for the organization. Perhaps inspired by
her niece Camille’s caring, her aunt then adopted an AARF dog.
Kids often possess talents that can be used in surprising ways to animals’
benefit.
Allan suggests that Richmonders keep an eye out for the AARF van; it was
painted by the art class at Henrico High School.
Susan Kelly, director of development for Richmond Animal League (RAL),
praises the group dynamic of her Friday Night Dog Care Crew.
“At any given time, there are seven to 10 kids on hand to help. These are
all students who have a commitment to our animals and really enjoy helping
weekly. They make volunteering fun and always get the job done. They are a
shining example of the true benefit of young volunteers.”
The power of many can accomplish much. At this time in particular, that
resonates with Richmond’s animal-loving kids.
Making Rights of Wrongs
National news coverage has been merciless regarding events that transpired
in Virginia this past year. The Old Dominion has been in the proverbial
doghouse—a fact not lost on youthful animal advocates.
“The recent stories have impacted me greatly. I feel terrible about the
tremendous amounts of abuse that have taken place throughout the past year,”
shares AARF volunteer Olivia Ames, 15. “Many people who come by the dog
stand bring up stories like the Michael Vick case and tell us how they’ve
decided to rescue a dog because they just cannot stand to see [the animals]
go through any more pain.”
Clearly, animals have suffered as a result of the Vick incident, but so have
commonly held perceptions.
Tiffany Allen, a 16-year-old volunteer with AARF, explains, “The crimes of
Michael Vick have affected some people’s opinions of certain breeds.
Personally, I think it’s a dog’s upbringing that determines how [it] will
turn out as a [full grown dog]. The breed should not be blacklisted for
someone else’s cruel and ignorant actions.”
RAL volunteer Alex Wiles, 17, substantiates that wisdom from a first-hand
perspective.
“RAL actually took four of Michael Vick’s dogs and put them into trained,
knowledgeable foster homes,” she says. “I got to meet two of these pit
bulls, and they were not at all the ‘stereotypical’ pit bull. In fact, both
were extremely shy and seemed content to have a soft blanket and a belly
rub.”
Speaking of abused animals in general, HHS volunteer Corbyn Ridell reflects,
“I am constantly amazed at how forgiving [the animals] are to people after
some of the inhumane experiences they have been put through.”
Correcting the
Misperceptions
The reputation of certain animal breeds (such as pit bulls) makes them
uniquely challenging to place, especially within family environments. With
the help of young volunteers, Sara Meehan, director of Misunderstood Pit
Bull Rescue, combats the misjudgments.
“People often think ‘pit bulls and children don’t mix,’ but that’s not true.
Pit bulls were known in the U.K. as ‘nanny dogs’ because of how great they
are with kids,” explains Meehan. “They are very tolerant, and have such a
high pain tolerance that kids poking and pulling doesn’t bother them.
“Bad owners have created a media frenzy and public panic. These are truly
amazing dogs and would make a wonderful household pet for most any family,”
she continues.
“When we have adoption stands, [one of the best ways our younger volunteers
help] is by showing the public how great our dogs are with children.”
Animal Attraction
Timmy and Lassie. Fern and Wilbur. Mowgli and Baloo. Our occasionally
hardened-with-age adult hearts reflexively warm when confronted with loving
child and animal relationships.
In addition to the feelings of accomplishment, one of the biggest benefits
of working so intimately with home-needing animals is the inter-species
friendships made.
Pixie Williams, executive director of Save Our Shelters, elaborates, “It’s a
great idea for youths to be volunteering with animals…it’s such a rewarding
experience. It’s one of the few times they are loved unconditionally in
their lives.”
SPCA volunteer Ellie Wilson, 10, shares her perspective: “[The animals] are
so cute and need a home. I collected 120 towels [for the SPCA]. It felt so
good seeing happy animals.” When asked if she felt attached to the shelter
animals, Ellie answered candidly, “The whole time.”
Fellow SPCA kid Rachael Wood, 10, feels similarly: “I love animals. I have a
cat, and my grandma has a dog and a cat. She adopted her dog from the
Richmond SPCA. I like doing volunteer work. It’s a lot of fun and you get to
spend time with the animals.”
“[The animals] can be a child’s best friend,” Lydia Puryear succinctly
states.
That’s exactly what Diane Edmonds, 15, discovered. On only her second
volunteer shift for AARF, she made a connection with one special pup.
“Trouble” has been hers ever since.
In It for the Long Haul
Diane originally became involved with the group to fulfill the time
requirement in order to become a veterinary technician. Now she says, “I’m
going to continue going even after my 50 hours are done.”
She’s not alone. “At first, my volunteering was only for community service,”
Olivia Ames says, “but I continued to show up after I had received credit
for all of my hours because I had grown so attached to the dogs. I love that
feeling of accomplishment when one of my favorite dogs gets adopted for
good. I will try to continue rescuing animals as long as I can.”
Corbyn Ridell began volunteering at HHS in 2000 to complete 30 hours of
school-mandated community service. Now, she has her eye on a professional
prize. “Because of my volunteer work with these dogs, I have decided to
center my career goals on the well-being and rights of neglected and abused
animals.” She’s pursuing a degree at Virginia Tech with plans to become a
veterinarian.
When it comes to the students’ sacrifice made in time and energy, Alex Wiles
sums it up eloquently, “At the end of the night, I may be splattered with
bleach, covered in hair, and have missed one more high school dance, but
knowing that I’ve helped to keep these animals happy and healthy for one
more day is a feeling that makes all that worth it.”
Consider the Paws-ibilities‑- Volunteer!
“Richmond Animal League is a place of inclusion,” says
Susan Kelly, the group’s director of development. “We welcome the public to
come visit us, our animals and our wonderful volunteers. Without the efforts
of 100+ volunteers here weekly, we would be nowhere. They are our backbone!”
The other organizations mentioned in this article heartily agree. Many
require that children under a certain age volunteer at shelters or events
with an adult, but as Debra Allan of AARF points out, “We encourage our
volunteers to be creative: coordinating fund raisers, finding foster homes
or just gathering items we need from the wish-list found on [our] website.”
Far more animal welfare organizations operate in central Virginia than can
be mentioned in this article. For listings and contact information, try
these sites:
Petfinder.com
Yes, you can find pets for adoption here, but you can also find local
groups! Click on “Adopt/Find a pet” > “Search for animal welfare groups” >
“View local organizations by distance.” Then enter your zip code.
people.virginia.edu/~rmm7e/phonebook.html
The “Pawprints’ Guide to Central Virginia Animal Organizations” has not been
recently updated, but it is organized and thorough.
Directory.richmondpetlovers.com
In the search box on the left, select “Animal rescue, shelters and adoption
organizations,” then enter zip code and search range. Be aware that paid
listings show up first.
Cheryl Lage is the author of “Twinspiration: Real-Life Advice from Pregnancy through the First Year.” She and her husband Scott live in Richmond’s Northside and were exceedingly proud when their twins Darren and Sarah used their 6th birthday party to collect pet care items for local animals in need.
