August 28, 2008 2 a.m. EDT
Girl Scouts from Troop 1477 in the Austin, Texas, area recently brightened the lives of cats at the Town Lake Animal Center. For a community service project, the fifth graders sewed fleece cat beds and made straw dangle toys for the cats waiting for adoption.
“We pet-crazy girls had a lot of fun making the cat beds and toys, especially because we know they’re for a good cause,” the girls said in a statement released by the ASPCA. The girls in the troop were recognized by the ASPCA as Community Heroes in the organization’s Mission: Orange campaign.
Troop 1477 learned about Town Lake Animal Center through their families, many of which had adopted pets from the shelter. The girls spent Monday afternoons sewing the beds, many of which will accompany the cats to their new homes when they are adopted. The straw toys allow visitors to the shelter to play with the cats without using their fingers.
When the beds and toys were complete, the troop visited the shelter and was treated to a behind-the-scenes tour. “They loved seeing the beds and toys being put to use and were thrilled with how much the kittens loved them,” said Carolyn Gondran, troop leader.