SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2017

THE DAILY TIMES | NEWS | 15

LOCAL LIFE

Sabold students promote animal adoptions

SPRINGFIELD >> Students in
Sabold Elementary Schools
Animal Service Club put
their artistic skills to use for
promoting animal adoption
by creating posters for the
animals at Providence An-
imal Center in Upper Prov-
idence.
Second grade teacher
Christina Slavin, a Sabold
alumnae in her first year of
teaching, organized the An-
imal Service Club to get stu-
dents involved with helping
animals in their commu-
nity. This is a fresh idea I
had that I wanted to start
and run with. I think its
very important to get kids
involved in activities after
school, said Slavin.
The 40-member club
gets hands-on at meeting
with helping animals and
expanding their animal Sergeant Pepper
knowledge. Past activities
include baking dog treats pose their classmates, and
and making dog chew toys in turn their classmates
fashioned out of donated parents, to the idea of pet
T-shirts. The students re- adoption. Its reassuring to
ceived a visit from Folcroft know this is being taught in
K-9 Officer Gene Mackey Marshall schools. Future generations
and his dog Sarge to learn will make the morally con-
how police dogs can save meeting with a visit from a are out of school when a scious, correct choice, she
humans in dangerous sit- state park ranger. student told her I went to said.
uations. The students will Slavin started to see the go see Rocco, the dog the COLIN AINSWORTH
branch out from domes- experiential learning pay- student had created a poster
tic animals at an upcoming ing off when the children for. He probably would not
LOCAL LIFE
Providence Animal Center
offers $14 adoption fees
now through Feb. 14 for
black or mostly black cats
Fletcher aged 6 months-plus and
dogs homeless 40-plus
have gone to Providence An- live in a cage, said Justina days. Visit at the adoption
imal Center otherwise, she Calgiano, director of public center at 555 Sandy Bank
said. I feel like Im making relations and special events Road, Media, open noon-7
a difference in that sense. at Providence Animal Cen- p.m. Monday-Friday, 11 a.m.-
Getting young people to ter. 6 p.m. Saturday and noon-5
see the realities of pet adop- For organizations like p.m. Sunday. Adoptions can
tion up close is a goal for the Providence Animal Center, be processed the same day
center, whether in an orga- classroom involvement is when all requirements are
nized group visit or on their key to instilling adoption as met (adoption processing
own like Slavins student. the go-to method for choos- stops 30 minutes prior to
Projects like this [the stu- ing a pet in coming gener- closing; weekends tend to
dents posters] go hand in ations. Its the hope of pet be busier adoption days). For
hand with a visit in the shel- adoption advocates like Cal- information, call the center
ter. They might have a dog giano that the Animal Ser- at 610-566-1370 or visit
Colt or cat at home, but it doesnt vice Clubs artwork will ex- www.providenceac.org.