I believe every animal deserves to be in a loving and caring environment. All of our four-legged friends should be well cared for and in a safe home. I believe there is no reason for animals to be abused or tormented. I know some animals may act violently and viciously sometimes, but that is mostly due to fear of people. Animals are a product of the environment in which they were raised. In around the fifth grade I remember there was a small dog that used to roam around the courtyard area of my elementary school. I remember how sickly the dog looked, to put it lightly the dog looked half dead. He had many open cuts and welts on his body and was in desperate need of medical help. It was never confirmed, but we believe he was part of a dog fighting ring, but that was just a theory. My music teacher took a liking to the skittish dog and had a few students help and initiate fundraisers to raise money to help with his medical. In our school we wore uniforms but once a week we were allowed a color clothes day to raise money for clubs and other departments in the school, we as students decided to give up those days and start to raise the funds for his care that way. We also did water sales on weekends to come up with funds. In the end, we were able to raise most of the funds to pay for his bills. I remember during this time really looking up to my peers and especially my music teacher for helping and even taking in the dog that we eventually named Ricky. I feel like that's when I started to notice, care for, and advocate for animals more. It also made me realize how cruel and despicable some people are to leave an animal in that condition and not help. After this experience, I began helping and volunteering at my local animal shelter. I still try and go volunteer and help out when I can, but truth be told I have been trying to work and save for college. Most recently I helped to paint a flea market/adoption center, that will help raise funds for the animals in the shelter. I have also helped with taking the dogs on walks and feeding them.

I believe every animal deserves to be in a loving and caring environment. All of our four-legged friends should be well cared for and in a safe home. I believe there is no reason for animals to be abused or tormented. I know some animals may act violently and viciously sometimes, but that is mostly due to fear of people. Animals are a product of the environment in which they were raised. In around the fifth grade I remember there was a small dog that used to roam around the courtyard area of my elementary school. I remember how sickly the dog looked, to put it lightly the dog looked half dead. He had many open cuts and welts on his body and was in desperate need of medical help. It was never confirmed, but we believe he was part of a dog fighting ring, but that was just a theory. My music teacher took a liking to the skittish dog and had a few students help and initiate fundraisers to raise money to help with his medical. In our school we wore uniforms but once a week we were allowed a color clothes day to raise money for clubs and other departments in the school, we as students decided to give up those days and start to raise the funds for his care that way. We also did water sales on weekends to come up with funds. In the end, we were able to raise most of the funds to pay for his bills. I remember during this time really looking up to my peers and especially my music teacher for helping and even taking in the dog that we eventually named Ricky. I feel like that's when I started to notice, care for, and advocate for animals more. It also made me realize how cruel and despicable some people are to leave an animal in that condition and not help. After this experience, I began helping and volunteering at my local animal shelter. I still try and go volunteer and help out when I can, but truth be told I have been trying to work and save for college. Most recently I helped to paint a flea market/adoption center, that will help raise funds for the animals in the shelter. I have also helped with taking the dogs on walks and feeding them.

I believe every animal deserves to be in a loving and caring environment. All of our four legged friends should be well cared for and in a safe home. I believe there is no reason for animals to be abused or tormented. I know some animals may act in a violent and vicious manner sometimes, but that is mostly due to fear of people. Animals are a product of the environment that they were raised in. In around the fifth grade I remember there was a small dog that used to roam around the courtyard area of my elementary school. I remember how sickly the dog looked, to put it lightly the dog looked half dead. He had many open cuts and welts on his body, and was in desperate need for medical help. It was never confirmed, but we believe he was part of a dog fighting ring, but that was really just a theory. My music teacher took a liking to the skiddish dog and had a few students help and initiate fundraisers to raise money to help with his medical. In our school we wore uniforms but once a week we were allowed a color clothes day to raise money for clubs and other departments in the school, us as students decided to give up those days and start to raise the funds for his care that way. We also did water sales on weekends to come up with funds. In the end we were able to raise most of the funds to pay for his bills. I remember during this time really looking up to my peers and especially my music teacher for helping and even taking in the dog that we eventually named Ricky. I feel like that's when I really started to notice, care, and advocate for animals more. It also made me realize how cruel and despicable some people are to leave an animal in that condition and not help. After this experience I began helping and volunteering at my local animal shelter. I still try and go volunteer and help out when I am able to, but truth be told I have been trying to work and save for college.Most recently I helped to paint a flea market/adoption center, that will help raise funds for the animals in the shelter. I have also helped with taking the dogs on walks and feeding them.