Washougal students create toys, blankets for animals
First-grade students at Cape Horn-Skye Elementary School (CHSES) learned the joy of giving last month by creating toys and blankets for dogs and cats residing at the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society (WCGHS) in Washougal.
“This experience was about empathy and caring for those less fortunate, in this case animals,” CHSES first-grade teacher Darcy Hickey said in a news release issued by the Washougal School District. “The students have been so excited for this project. It has become a first-grade tradition at CHS.”
Students in first-grade classes taught by Taryn Tedford and Nichol Yung also participated.
Cathi Parent, WCGHS’ community engagement manager, came to CHSES to collect the gifts and talk with students about the shelter and their animals. She discussed ways that cats and dogs end up at the shelter, the foster program, success stories for animals and volunteer activities. She also brought Purrgie the cat, a 3-year-old tabby, who was a big hit with students.
“We love seeing children and youth of any age wanting to get involved in helping their local community and give back,” Parent said in the news release. “Their interest in helping animals is very heartwarming. Many of these pets may have come from unwanted homes or were strays and never knew real love before. Living in a shelter situation, even though they are being taken very good care of and loved on by volunteers, can still be stressful. Having items like the blankets and toys that were made by the students can help make their time at the shelter that much better.”
Students also learned about the importance of microchipping pets in case they get lost, spaying and neutering to control the pet population and the process they go through to help pets get adopted. Parent made sure students were calm, quiet and moved slowly as they approached Purrgie, who let anyone who wanted to meet her provide ear rubs, back scratches and pets.