Dogs have been considered “man’s best friend” for centuries. However, millions of dogs that end up in kill shelters or languish for years, unadopted, and do not experience that companionship or love. To raise awareness about pet adoption, FCHS SGA partnered with the Fluvanna County Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (FSPCA). The SPCA brought two dogs to FCHS on April 26, and allowed students who had previously signed a waiver to play with the dogs during their lunch period.
“One of our board members has wanted to get some educational things going with the school for a long time now. However, it took longer than expected. Administration needed to create and make waivers in order for students to participate, as well as to provide safety for the students participating,” said Pam Vanderbeek, a volunteer at the SPCA.
The Fluvanna County SPCA is a no kill shelter, which means they never euthanize the animals they receive. Instead, they aim to save the lives of all the animals they can by getting them adopted or finding them a new home. The shelter has been around since 1989, and states that helping animals is their priority. This is different from the majority of shelters and pounds in the United States, which are often kill shelters. This means that the animals at these shelters are euthanized when they are not adopted after a certain amount of time. The volunteers at the FSPCA are strongly against euthanization and try to find homes for all their animals.
“You shouldn’t euthanize a dog for no valid reason, and just for not being able to find a home. A lot of shelters tend to do so, but we only turn to euthanization for necessary reasons. If they are injured and cannot be fixed, then that is the best solution. We do not want them to suffer. We are obligated to take any dogs welcomed to us. Yet if we get too crowded or full, we just let others know we cant take anymore animals,” stated Vanderbeek.
At the April 26 event, students who had previously signed a waiver and signed up for the event were greeted by Princeton and Queenie, two of what the FSPCA calls their friendliest dogs. The FSPCA also provided small, free tokens, games, and educational information flyers. The tokens included free SPCA pins, cat and dog crossword puzzles, and framed dog photos. To win the games, a student had to guess the closest amount of dog treats for a prize and come up with the best name for the new dog play area. The table with the flyers also had Princeton and Queenie’s adoption papers.
SGA also provided rocks and paint for the students to get creative. The FSPCA will use the painted rocks to decorate their property.
“I loved the event. I found it to be both very exciting and fun. I am a big fan of animals and dogs, so this was the perfect event for me to participate in. I feel as if they should continue doing this,” said eighth grader Elise Summers, a student who participated in the SPCA event.
For more information about the Fluvanna County SPCA, visit their website at https://www.fspca.org/.
