When a group of fifth graders in Long Island, N.Y., learned about the misery of mass dog-breeding operations—known as puppy mills—their outrage spurred them to take serious action to help the animals.

A Horrifying Discovery

It all came about when Christine Matthesen, a 5th grade teaching assistant at Shore Road Intermediate Center in Bellmore, N.Y., watched a segment about puppy mills on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" late last summer.

She was appalled to learn that puppy mill operators breed dogs continually, and the animals are without human companionship or hope of ever becoming part of a family.

She took the sad story to fifth grade teachers, Lisa Garry and Alexandra Benedetto, and the three decided to pass on to their students what they had learned.

Getting Down to Business

"The students started by researching information on the subject and the organizations that help animals," she continued.

"They came up with an idea to raise money to donate to The Humane Society of the United States and to Angel's Gate Hospice, based in Smithtown, N.Y."

The students got down to work, and the creative juices started flowing. They decided on a canine-themed bake sale: tablecloths decorated with paw prints, homemade bone-shaped dog treats baked in the school's kitchen, and specially designed packaging.

Everyone On Board

With whole-hearted approval from the school’s principal, Christine Augusto, the entire affair became a learning experience.

Students polled each class to see who would be likely to buy the treats. Then, with the help of math teacher Heidi Weiner, they calculated the amount of treats they needed and came up with a price that would bring in a profit.

Throughout the month of September, each student made a point of educating others about the importance of spaying or neutering pets. They also explained why it’s best to adopt from an animal shelter rather than buy a puppy at a pet shop.

The kids also included a "Dog's Story" segment in the morning announcements each day to raise awareness. And students whose family dogs were rescues made posters describing their dogs’ stories.

Don’t Forget the Humans

On the day of the bake sale, kids also brought human treats: Scooby Doo cupcakes, brownies, sheet cakes with "Stop Puppy Mills" written on top, and a huge chocolate chip cookie with a dog's face on it.

Eleven-year-old Kristen Polirer even made cupcakes with dog faces on them. "I hope we could put these [puppy mills] out of business, and no more dogs would be abused, and they could have a home and run around and get fed and just have a happier life," she said.

Even parents got involved—one of the students' mothers made a cake that was too pretty to be eaten.

"Mrs. Kelly made a Dalmatian-shaped cake so beautifully decorated that we decided not to cut it up by the piece but to raffle it off," Matthesen said. "It brought in over $50.00. Even the Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Joseph Famularo, stopped by and bought good wishes, a snack, and a package of biscuits for his dog."

We Did It!

The students raised $846, just short of their goal. So another group of Shore Road School students had a "Lemon-Aid to Stop Puppy Mills" stand and raised another $174, bringing the grand total to $1,020.

They will split the donations between The HSUS and Angel’s Gate.

"Donating the money and knowing we've made a bit of a difference in these animals' lives is very rewarding for everyone," Matthesen said.

During their research leading up to the bake sale, the kids found inspiring stories about rescue dogs on The HSUS website, where they also came across contact information for Patrick Kwan, the New York state director.

Fast forward to later this month: Kwan accepted the students’ invitation to accept the $500 donation at a Nov. 26 assembly at their school.

"It’s incredibly inspiring to see the Shore Road School community come together, and it brought back great memories from the days when I was a young activist trying to make a difference for animals," Kwan said. "These kids really took up the cause and ran with it."

You can help stop puppy mills too! Do the Cause for Paws project.