Local teens revamp animal shelter

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‘INSPIRE KIDS TO DO’ MISSION IN PEARSALL

The Pearsall 4H Club earned accolade from the city council (Photo above) recently for the work that the youths accomplished in repair and improvement at the city’s animal shelter (Below)

Living up to its pledge of service to others, the Pearsall 4-H Club spent a Saturday cleaning up and making repairs to the local dog shelter.
While many of their peers were at the ballfield for opening day of Little League, members of the youth organization spent their day less than a mile away on April 1.
The project was part of the 4H organization’s “Inspire Kids to Do” effort that involves members taking action to improve their community.
The city-owned facilities were in dire need of repairs and the group wanted to come to the rescue. Prior to the workday, the club raised $650 in donations that were used to purchase equipment and dog food, among other supplies.
“Our number one priority was getting water supply to every pen,” Club Manager Jessica Salaiz said. “The kids and their parents started working at 8:30 that morning until 6:15 that evening to ensure their goal was met.”
The club members and their parents washed kennels, made repairs, planted trees, bathed the animals and used donations to provide a water source to every kennel at the facility.
Adding automatic water feeders and food bowls for all cages now gives the abandoned animals access to food and water 24 hours a day.
Parents also welded broken pens, which has enabled the facility to hold more animals.
The club has been actively involved in advocating for the facility and hosted events that encourage adoption of stray animals. The children hosted an exhibit booth at Frio Pioneer Day in late March and were able to aid in the adoption of all animals that had been at the facility.
“This is a great example of a public and private partnership,” Pearsall Mayor Ben Briscoe said. “It reflects outstanding community teamwork. They saw a need and stepped up with a solution.”
Recently the club and their leaders, Cosme Rodriguez, Salaiz and Dee Shahan, were recognized during a council meeting; the city treated the group to a pizza party.