Honors Students to the Rescue
In February, the University Honors Program students on the Armstrong Campus partnered with Coastal Pet Rescue to raise awareness about homeless, abused, and abandoned dogs and cats. Emily Dietrich (English ‘20) arranged to have four dogs from the rescue center visit campus—two Chihuahuas, Sheldon and Tootie, and two Stratford Shire Terriers, Chevey and Bess. The dogs were all on their best behavior and stole the hearts of everyone who walked by. Throughout the day the students handed out volunteer forms and pamphlets, took donations, and sold bracelets and tennis balls to raise funds.
Coastal Pet Rescue is a nonprofit animal rescue organization. They rescue homeless, abused, or neglected dogs and cats and also take in animals who would otherwise be euthanized. Once the animals are in Coastal’s care, they receive veterinary care, sterilization, and a temporary home before their forever home. One of their main goals is to provide resources to pet owners to encourage their responsibility and commitment to their pets and prevent them from contributing to the homeless pet population, including spaying/neutering pets and microchipping.
Dietrich is very personally invested with this organization, and she and her sister Sara (communication sciences and disorders ‘20), help out at the shelter frequently. The two sisters are part of the Honors Program’s student organization on the Armstrong Campus with Sara as the communications officer and Emily working as the community service officer.
Volunteering allows Sara to right the wrongs done to innocent lives. “The animals certainly didn’t get do choose their situation,” Dietrich says, “so it’s up to us to save them….Every animal deserves the chance to leave paw prints on someone’s heart.”
The day was a huge success in terms of fundraising and recruiting other volunteers for the organization. Honors students raised more than $70 for Coastal Pet Rescue and had over forty people fill out volunteer forms. By the following Monday, Sheldon, who had been with the organization for a year, Tootie and Chevey all found forever homes.
The Coastal Pet Rescue booth was the first of many community service events the Honors Program on the Armstrong campus will hold this semester. In late March, they and honors students from the Statesboro campus participated in a beach clean-up with Fight Dirty Tybee.
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