Animal Welfare Professionals

Hi Everyone,

We, like many shelters across the country, get a number of requests from Scout troops monthly for tours and other exciting engagement opportunities! We also field a number of requests from older scouts who are looking to complete their Eagle Scout/ Gold Star project ideas and are hoping to do something meaningful and larger for the shelter! We have had them reorganize our disaster trailer, build a shed, create a pantry organization system, build shade covers, construct community cat shelters, make agility toys for the dog yard, add flower boxes for cat enrichment-just to name a few! (some photos below)

I am hoping to gain more ideas to have in mind for these amazing requests and would love to see what projects scouts have completed for your shelters! Would love if you can include photos as well!! I hope this will serve as a list we can all reference when we get these larger project ideas from scouts! 

Many thanks,

Jenn

#CommunityPartnerships*
#EducationandTraining
#FundraisingandDevelopment
#MarketingandSocialMedia

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Jennifer Toussaint
Chief of Animal Control
Animal Welfare League of Arlington
VA
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We had a girl scout troop in NYC reach out to us about creating a brochure for our rescue. It worked out very well.  Something we wouldn't have done for ourselves. The girls were enthusiastic, learned a lot about our rescue and the care of our dogs (we're breed specific) and created a very nice pamphlet we could hand out at events like Meet the Breed.  It was a win/win.

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Susan Leavitt
National Coordinator, East Coast, VP Board
American Maltese Association Rescue
NY
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I am a volunteer at our shelter and  have always thought the boy scouts and girl scouts were one of our best community resources--not only do you get engagement with the community but also the bonus of educating the next generation about the positive aspects of shelter pets, volunteerism,  etc.

If you have  you have a decent amount of grounds around your shelter a great project could be the construction of  trails for "sniff walks".  Constructed similarly to exercise par courses, one could have stations where they could  plant plants/bushes  or have various types of enrichment materials.  

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susan murphy
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Love the "sniff walks" idea! Thank you!

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Jennifer Toussaint
Chief of Animal Control and Senior Director of Community Resources
Animal Welfare League of Arlington
Arlington VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-24-2023 06:38 AM
From: Susan Murphy
Subject: Eagle Scout and Gold Star Scout Project Ideas List!

I am a volunteer at our shelter and  have always thought the boy scouts and girl scouts were one of our best community resources--not only do you get engagement with the community but also the bonus of educating the next generation about the positive aspects of shelter pets, volunteerism,  etc.

If you have  you have a decent amount of grounds around your shelter a great project could be the construction of  trails for "sniff walks".  Constructed similarly to exercise par courses, one could have stations where they could  plant plants/bushes  or have various types of enrichment materials.  

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susan murphy
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We had an Eagle Scout reach out to us and him and a crew he organized came in and built shelves for our supplies and set up our storage unit - we were so thankful for the assistance.

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geri golonka
Foster/Volunteer
Tiny N Tall Rescue
St. Charles, IL
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We had an Eagle Scout make a new Rainbow Bridge for our Memorial Garden. The one we had was decomposing. He did a fantastic job with his troop and it will last for years to come!

Michelle Schutz

Humane Education Manager

Virginia Beach SPCA

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Michelle Schutz
Humane Education Manager
Virginia Beach SPCA
VA
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Michele, so interesting! Do you have a photo of your memorial garden you might be able to share?

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Jennifer Toussaint
Chief of Animal Control and Senior Director of Community Resources
Animal Welfare League of Arlington
Arlington VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-27-2023 06:08 AM
From: Michelle Schutz
Subject: Eagle Scout and Gold Star Scout Project Ideas List!

We had an Eagle Scout make a new Rainbow Bridge for our Memorial Garden. The one we had was decomposing. He did a fantastic job with his troop and it will last for years to come!

Michelle Schutz

Humane Education Manager

Virginia Beach SPCA

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Michelle Schutz
Humane Education Manager
Virginia Beach SPCA
VA
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Hello,

Yes. Please see attached. We have a trail that is surrounded by trees, shrubs and flowers along with memorial stones of animals and people (dedicated animal lovers/animal welfare advocates). The beginning is with the arch and the bricks that lay before it have names of sponsors for the Memorial Garden.  The Rainbow Bridge by the Eagle Scout is on the trail. People can sit and enjoy or walk their dogs as they wait to get into our clinic right next to it.  Our volunteer dog walkers use it as well at times. Throughout the years, people have donated various benches, birdhouses and plants. Many groups of volunteers put in the work along with a landscaping company that donated their energy, tools and plants as well. For some of their services we did have to pay, hence why we needed sponsors for the garden.

We had two Memorial Garden dedication ceremonies. One was for volunteers and donors where we had refreshments served and a celloist playing music. The other one was for our staff. We had refreshments as well but the key part for us was a remembrance of all the animals we had lost for the previous year at the shelter and any personal pets. We put their names on leaf cut outs and had a fire. Each staff member grabbed quite a few and could speak about any animal they had memories of and then put their names in the fire. The staff ceremony is done annually. 

-Michelle

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Michelle Schutz
Humane Education Manager
Virginia Beach SPCA
VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-28-2023 09:16 AM
From: Jennifer Toussaint (she/her)
Subject: Eagle Scout and Gold Star Scout Project Ideas List!

Michele, so interesting! Do you have a photo of your memorial garden you might be able to share?

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Jennifer Toussaint
Chief of Animal Control and Senior Director of Community Resources
Animal Welfare League of Arlington
Arlington VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 11-27-2023 06:08 AM
From: Michelle Schutz
Subject: Eagle Scout and Gold Star Scout Project Ideas List!

We had an Eagle Scout make a new Rainbow Bridge for our Memorial Garden. The one we had was decomposing. He did a fantastic job with his troop and it will last for years to come!

Michelle Schutz

Humane Education Manager

Virginia Beach SPCA

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Michelle Schutz
Humane Education Manager
Virginia Beach SPCA
VA

We also have a Rainbow Bridge that was built by a Scout troop :) 

In addition, our lending library and display for brochures, etc. were built/painted and contributed by a Scout . One of our outdoor storage sheds was also a Scout project!

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Erin Dams
Community Relations Coordinator
Roanoke Valley SPCA
Roanoke VA
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have had the privilege of working with several scouts some of the projects we have done are, walking paths, community cat housing, play yard equipment.  anytime we can partner with another organization it is a win for for us. 

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Charles Brown
executive director
Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society
VA
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