The Paws Cause

The New School in DeWitt, New York, may be small, but according to one parent, "it's chock-full" of kids who care about animals! When the students were asked to do presentations on causes they felt most strongly about, animals were the winners. Protecting seals was one cause the students voted for. Supporting animal shelters and promoting pet adoption was the other.

Evelyn Caldwell, age 12, presented on the need to support pet shelters. "Pets should be adopted from shelters," she argued, "not purchased from stores supporting puppy mills." She also told students and faculty that shelters need help caring for the animals.

Students in the school enthusiastically responded. They decided to name their program "The Paws Cause."

After students researched the issue, they made posters explaining the importance of adopting pets from shelters. To raise money for a local shelter, the kids decided to make and sell fleece scarves. By the end of the school year, they raised $250! Paws Cause members then visited the shelter to deliver their donation in person. A tour of the shelter convinced the kids that the Paws Cause would become on ongoing project at the New School. That's paws-itively super!