MS police officers do community outreach with shelter dogs
Starkville police officers are participating in 'Dogs Day Out' in hopes of getting shelter dogs adopted while building positive relationships in the community.
A group of elementary school students are helping to promote shelter animals in search of forever homes.
Second-graders at St. Michael's Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia, have created artwork accompanied by letters written to potential cat and dog "parents" from the perspectives of the animals themselves.
"Hello! I'm Pitato Chip. I'm a Pitbull!" one story read. "I won't hurt you, I'll give you lots of kisses! Slurp! I like the animal shelter, but I want to live with you!"
Second-graders at St. Michael's Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia, have created artwork accompanied by letters written to potential cat and dog "parents" from the perspectives of 24 dogs and one cat. (Richmond Animal Care & Control)
Christie Peters, director of Richmond Animal Care & Control (RACC), told Fox News Digital that she worked with her son’s teacher, Kensey Jones, on the project.
Jones was the "brainchild" behind the adorable letters, Peters said.
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"The class was working on persuasive writing, and they wrote pieces as if they were speaking on behalf of the shelter dog trying to get adopted," Peters said. "I said, ‘That’s the coolest idea ... let’s do it."
Christie Peters, director of Richmond Animal Care & Control (RACC), told Fox News Digital that she worked with her son’s teacher, Kensey Jones, on a project in which elementary school students wrote persuasive letters from the perspective of shelter animals wanting to be adopted. (Richmond Animal Care & Control)
A representative of St. Michael's said students were assigned a dog or cat from RACC.
They were then "briefed" on the background and temperament of the furry friends.
"The class was working on persuasive writing, and they wrote pieces as if they were speaking on behalf of the shelter dog trying to get adopted," said Christie Peters, director of Richmond Animal Care & Control. (Richmond Animal Care & Control)
The written stories and illustrations were later hung on the outside of kennels to motivate potential adopters to bring an animal home.
"This classroom project collaboration allowed me to combine my two greatest passions, children’s literacy and helping animals in need," Jones, who is also RACC volunteer, said in a news release.
"I am so proud to see my students rise to the occasion and write amazing persuasive paragraphs through the eyes of one of their RACC dogs."
Seen in an image snapped in late February 2022, this is a child's handwritten letter from the perspective of a shelter dog who "wants to be adopted" in Richmond, Virginia. (Richmond Animal Care & Control)
A family in Richmond, Virginia, are seen after the adoption of a dog at Richmond Animal Care & Control. Local students had written stories and created illustrations that were later pinned to kennels to motivate potential adopters to bring an animal home. (Richmond Animal Care & Control)
"All dogs deserve a loving home, especially Snow [the puppy ambassador]. I am so very happy to be able to help neglected animals find great forever families," said St. Michael’s second-grader Danielle Petroski.
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Peters said about 24 stories were written about dogs, plus one cat.
"I am so proud to see my students rise to the occasion and write amazing persuasive paragraphs through the eyes of one of their RACC dogs," said Kensey Jones, second-grade teacher at St. Michael's Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia. (Richmond Animal Care & Control)
A shelter dog sits in a kennel at Richmond Animal Care & Control (RACC) in Richmond, with letters to perspective adopters posted on its cage. Those letters were written by local second-graders as part of a writing exercise. (Richmond Animal Care & Control)
Peters and Jones had the students focus on RACC’s oldest residents, the longest residents and animals who needed "some extra help" in finding homes.
Jones said eight animals were quickly adopted after their stories were written — and read.
Second-graders at St. Michael's Episcopal School in Richmond created artwork accompanied by letters written to potential cat and dog "parents" from the perspectives of the shelter animals. The children focused on crafting stories for Richmond Animal Care & Control’s oldest residents, the longest residents and animals who needed "some extra help" finding homes. (Richmond Animal Care & Control)
"It’s such a creative way that we partnered with this school to bring awareness and I hope it’s something other shelters in the country will do to market their shelter animals," Jones said.
