Castaic Middle School students are still doing their part to ensure that animals at the Castaic Animal Shelter are comfortable in their cages and are more likely to get adopted.
As part of the school’s Kids Loving Animals Within Shelters (KLAWS) club, students returned to the local shelter Tuesday afternoon to read to dogs as part of the club’s second “Bark for Books” program.
KLAWS was created by teachers Karen Gagnon and Christine Racina a year ago. The students adopted the Castaic Animal Shelter as the club’s primary mission to support the needs of the shelter and to educate students of the responsibilities of owning an animal.
“As people start to come here the word gets out about the shelter… and the club,” Gagnon said.
Tuesday’s event, “Bark for Books PAWt2,” was paired with the club’s “Shelter Snuggles Donation Drive,” where students gave donated blankets and items to the shelter before reading to shelter dogs.
“We got hundreds of blankets and snuggly toy donations from all over the country,” Gagnon said.
According to Gagnon, the nationwide donations were because of friends at Rescue Strong, a local company that raises money and awareness for rescues, who asked its supporters to donate items to the club on social media.
“I like to say they ‘took us under their paw’ because they shared this with their followers,” Gagnon said.
KLAWS also received book donations from animal right author Amy Luwis for the middle school students to read to shelter dogs.
Another individual donated money to support a customized T-shirt design and order for all of the KLAWS students.
“People from all over the country are involved,” Gagnon said. “These kids are making such a big difference all over the county and, in some cases, the world.”
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