Scouts, dogs evoke memories of Rockwell’s paintings

Kathy Toppins
Special to The Sun

EDMOND May 06, 2008 11:54 am

— One of Norman Rockwell’s first paintings for the Boy Scout calendar cover shows a Boy Scout bandaging a puppy’s foot with the mother dog watching. According to the Norman Rockwell Museum of Vermont, Rockwell illustrated the virtues of Scouting with a painting for the calendar from 1925 through 1976, missing only two years. Among his classic paintings are scenes of Scouts providing first aid for dogs, hiking with dogs, feeding puppies and being welcomed home by the family pet after a camping trip.
Nine Boy Scouts from Troop 94 are continuing the Rockwell tradition of Scouts caring for dogs by focusing on Edmond Animal Welfare to fulfill requirements for the Citizenship in the Community merit badge. On Thursday, the Scouts interviewed Edmond Animal Welfare Officer Mike Sullivan and toured the city’s animal shelter.
The Scouts visited the shelter to learn about animal issues important to the community. They learned from Sullivan that “there are both bright and dark sides to animal welfare.” The Scouts showed a great deal of interest in rabies transmission and testing. Sullivan explained to the Scouts and their families the possible consequences of an unvaccinated dog tangling with a skunk — the animal most likely to carry rabies in Oklahoma. As a result of this discussion, all nine Scouts planned to make sure their pets have current rabies vaccination certificates.
Sullivan also talked to the Scouts about the need for heartworm prevention, pet identification, spaying and neutering, protecting pets from wildlife and reporting undernourished or injured animals.
Before and after the interview, the Scouts spent enough time in the rooms housing available pets to form attachments and plan adoption lobbying strategies. Rockwell should have added cats to his paintings based on this group of Scouts’ reactions to the meowing and paw reaching of the adoptable cats. “I want Jingles (a cat) for my next birthday,” Scout Cody Regier repeatedly told his father.
When Troop Committee Chairman Philip Bryan asked Sullivan for service project ideas, he recommended the Scouts build dog houses to be distributed by the shelter. In addition to planning a service project, Troop 94 and their chartering organization, Santa Fe Presbyterian Church, are working together this month to sponsor a mission collection of puppy chow, kitty chow and kitty litter.
“We’re fortunate to have Scout groups and churches serving as advocates for animal welfare in our community,” said Animal Welfare Supervisor Jim Fish. “We need community support to supplement the local government services we are able to provide.”

FOR MORE information about animal welfare issues or pet adoption, call Edmond Animal Welfare at 216-7615 or visit the shelter at 2424 Old Timbers Drive, southeast of the Interstate 35 and Covell Road intersection. The shelter is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday, and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Frid=ay. Online information and photos of dogs and cats available for adoption may be found at www.edmondok.com.

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