House Springs Elementary students bring pop of color, hope to kennels at animal shelter
JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. (First Alert 4) - A group of art students at House Springs Elementary are helping some long-term residents of the Jefferson County Animal Resource Center.
Over the last several months, students have created painted portraits of several dogs seeking forever homes after spending more than a year at the shelter. The work, started with selecting a dog, which led to tracing and eventually, watercolor painting.
“I picked two different dogs, one is outside and the other is really cute and fuzzy,” said Ella Bono, a fifth grader at House Springs Elementary.
Students were able to pick from nearly a dozen dogs in the shelter when deciding which ones they wanted to paint. Fortunately, several of the dogs have been adopted since the service project began, leaving four long-term dogs to be adopted.
“When we have dogs that stay here long term, we try to change up their kennels, sometimes put artwork or things that grab people’s attention that get them to look at them a second time,” said Assistant Animal Control Manager Liz Allgeyer-Huber. “This is going to be great, it’s something we can send home with the adopter when they get adopted.”
On Wednesday, the students took a field trip to the shelter to deliver their drawings and hang them on the outside of each dog’s respective kennel.
“I like art because it’s a fun way to get your feelings out and like be creative, and we’re doing this project so that dogs can get adopted,” said Kiley Arnold. “They’re playful, they’re helpful and they’re just really fun.”
To learn more about dogs, cats and puppies available for adoption, click here.
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