  |
| |
Club doggedly raises money for Gulf Coast animals
Jan. 19, 2006 Middle school teacher Colleen Ferris, center, enjoys the real 'teacher's pet,' also at center. On the eve of adolescence, intense likes and dislikes thrash around middle-level students. Teachers Colleen Ferris and Judy Miller and secretary Mary Whipple, all of the Albany-area Farnsworth Middle School, have tapped into a major "like:" a new club for animal lovers. The Guilderland Animal Protection Society happily wedges itself into a classroom after school to sew catnip toys for an animal shelter. Meetings start with the Baha Men's song, "Who Let the Dogs Out?" The talk is animated. A tiny Papillon dog brought in by student Laura Clark elicits baby talk and pleas for petting. While stitching a catnip toy, student Tabetha Savage does chillingly accurate imitations of a bobcat, a cow and a horse. "Students we had last year were excited when we invited them to bring in pictures of their pets. They loved looking at each other's pets," said Ferris. One student wrote about her dog a lot, and her mom brought in the pet. "For students with disabilities, sometimes writing is hard and school can be frustrating," she said. "They get very excited about animals." That gave birth to the idea for a club. "We wanted an activity where kids didn't have to have a particular skill," said Miller, who —along with Ferris — belongs to the Guilderland Classroom Teachers Association, led by Christopher Claus. One student who has a hard time expressing himself is now working on the club's Web site. Police officers brought in drug-sniffing canines. The manager of an animal shelter educated students about animal protection. A spring field trip is planned so students can mingle with ponies used to calm domestic violence victims. Also on the agenda: adopting an abused circus animal. A therapy dog who works with geriatric patients visited the club. It was such a hit, said Miller, a speech and language teacher, that students will use the comforting dog to practice delivering school presentations. In its infancy, the group took action, raising more than $500 for animal victims of Hurricane Katrina. For a $1 donation, students posted photos of pets on school bulletin boards. Members have also raised $500-plus for toys, food and blankets for animals in shelters — partly by selling dog treats baked by the school's cooking club. — Liza Frenette |
| |
| | ||
