Girls find volunteer niche exercising shelter puppies

Kathy Toppins
Special to The Sun

EDMOND April 29, 2008 10:47 am

— The three girls arrive at the Edmond Animal Shelter every Thursday at 1:45 p.m., pick up their name badges, choose a colorful leash and find the cutest adoptable dogs to take outside for what looks like recess.
The dogs the girls choose don’t want long, brisk walks. The little fur balls of energy spring at the girls’ feet as they lead them to a soft, grassy area. The girls sit down on the ground and allow their laps to become puppy jungle gyms. The short class period the girls have to volunteer at the shelter is an opportunity for exercising small dogs.
Mira Scheid, Maria Tatum and Margaret Clark are students from the two-semester Service Learning class taught by Janet Holsaeter at Edmond Memorial High School. Holsaeter gave her students an opportunity to visit a variety of organizations to discover for themselves which ones stirred their desire to contribute.
“We got to choose where we volunteer. We visited the shelter and decided to come here to walk and love on the dogs,” Tatum said.
The class has given the girls the opportunity to learn about other organizations, as well.
“Three days a week, we visit sites and volunteer,” Scheid said. “On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the three of us volunteer in different elementary and Head Start classes.”
The girls have learned a lot through their volunteering.
“On Mondays and Fridays we’re in the Service Learning class,” Clark said. “We’ve learned about charitable organizations, such as Infant Crisis Services, worked on an alcoholism project and studied the book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.’”
The girls’ volunteering helps make a difference.
“The girls’ approach to dog care is effective,” said Edmond Animal Welfare Supervisor Jim Fish. “These girls probably give more to the dogs than they realize. The affection the girls show the dogs makes them easier to adopt.
“The young Lhasa apso mix the girls played with today,” Fish said, “was adopted before the afternoon was over.”

Volunteering lap time or any other type of time to dogs and cats is coordinated through Paws for Life Inc. If interested, call Mary Robertson at 340-2425 or visit pawsforlifeinc.com. Online information about adoptable pets may be found at www.edmondok.com. For more information, visit the Edmond Animal Shelter, southeast of the Covell Road and Interstate 35 intersection at 2424 Old Timbers Drive, or call 216-7615. The shelter is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday.

KATHY TOPPINS is an intern for the Edmond Animal Welfare Shelter.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.