 | |
Community Heroes: Sew Far, Sew Good!
Who: Girl Scout Troop 1477—fifth graders from Eanes, Valley View and Cedar Creek Elementary schools—brought a lot of joy and hard work to Austin’s Town Lake Animal Center (TLAC).
When: Monday afternoon sewing parties
What: The young animal lovers made straw dangle toys and sewed fleece beds for the shelter cats.
Why TLAC: The girls had the opportunity to do a community service project in order to earn their bronze award, the highest recognition a Junior Girl Scout age nine to 11 can achieve. Since many of the girls’ families had adopted from TLAC, the troop knew exactly what the shelter did and wanted to help.
Why the Toys and Beds Are So Important: Having the straw toys with dangling cord encourages potential adopters to use them instead of their fingers to entertain the cats. The warmth of the fleece beds provide comfort to the cats, so there’s no need to use bulky towels. Fleece beds also dry quickly, and the cats become so attached, new adopters often take the beds home with their new kitty.
Why This Project Was So Much Fun: After being in the sewing party for several hours, troop leader Carolyn Gondran was persuaded to take the girls to the cat house two at a time. “It is kitten heaven in there,” says Gondran, “and very difficult to get the girls back out!” (Incidentally, there also was a pet-bed pillow fight!)
What Happened When the Project Was Over: When the toys and beds were complete, the girls learned about animal care and got a behind-the-scenes tour, during which they gave treats to the shelter dogs and played with the cats. “They loved seeing the beds and toys being put to use,” says Gondran,” and were thrilled with how much the kittens loved them.”
The Members of Girl Scout Troop 1477 Say: “We pet-crazy girls had a lot of fun making the cat beds and toys, especially because we know they’re for a good cause.”
More Austin Community Heroes:
The Woman Behind The Wags: Kathy Girling made sure that the Austin Humane Society's "Rags to Wags" fundraiser went off without so much as a whisker out of place!
Round Rock Rocks!: On August 31, 2007, 42 ill and malnourished Chihuahuas and a lone Great Dane were removed from a home in the Austin suburb of Round Rock. Shutting down this breeding operation was a long, involved process that illustrates the dedication and commitment of Round Rock's animal control officers.
Austin's Go-To Girl: Can one person really make a difference? The folks at Town Lake Animal Center admit they'd be "pretty lost" without volunteer Lee Ann Littrel.
Del Goss: Not Your Average Cat Lady!: One of Austin's leading "cat ladies" is Del Goss, a burly retired electrician who eats well and prefers margaritas to Earl Grey.
An AM:O Community Hero: After learning about Austin-based EmanciPET, from her mom, Wendi, Jillian decided to raise money for the non-profit spay/neuter clinic by baking and selling homemade treats for people and their pooches.
Donate Today