Colusa Girl Scouts are stepping up to help vaccinate shelter animals, particularly to keep puppies and young dogs at the Colusa County Animal Shelter from contracting Parvo, a highly contagious virus that spreads through direct contact with an infected dog or by indirect contact with a contaminated object.
Under the leadership of Krystyna Frank and Debbie Schantz, Colusas Troop No. 3806 chose the shelter as the community service project to earn their Bronze Awards, the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can achieve.
Their goal was to make a difference in their community, learn important leadership skills, and discover new passions.
” As a troop, we earned $540 for the vaccines for animals,” said Scout Leyla Avera.
Avera, Cindel Oliver, Emma Ann Miller, Faith Sines, McKenna Long, Allyson Graybill, and Kaelyn Frank collected donations for FOCCAS, a non-profit organization that was formed to assist the animal shelter in increasing pet adoptions through outreach programs, provide community education about animal care, provide vaccinations to cats and puppies, bring improvements to the existing shelter, and encourage spaying or neutering.
The troop collected donations from throughout the community and presented the $540 check on Aug. 11 to Animal Control officers Courtney Elliott, Chief, and Jenna Lambgino.
The donation will allow the shelter to vaccinate 54 puppies.
” This will go a long way,” Elliott said. ” Parvo is the number one thing that kills our puppies. We also vaccinate for kennel cough.
When presenting the check, each of the scouts offered a few words about what they were thankful to the Animal Shelter for.
McKenna said she was thankful that vaccinations exist that can keep animals safe. Several of the girls said they were thankful for a place where stray and lost animals could go to be safe or reunited with their owners.
” I am thankful there is a place to actually help animals so they are not stranded on the side of streets,” said Kaelyn.
The girls said they were not stopping at just raising money for the vaccinations. The troop plans to help FOCCAS extend the outdoor exercise yard and will continue to raise money to help cover the cost for the concrete.
The shelter typically takes in 30 to 100 dogs each month, with similar numbers for cats. About 50 percent are reunited with their owners, Elliott said.
On Aug. 11, there were 52 animals at the Colusa County Animal Shelter. –