Second-graders help shelter dogs get adopted by writing stories about them

• A teacher teamed up with the director of Richmond Animal Care & Control to introduce a second-grade class to the beauty of pet adoption.
• The kids met rescue dogs and wrote beautiful stories from the dogs’ perspectives to help them get adopted.
• The project has since helped eight animals find their forever homes after their new owners read their letters!

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A teacher and shelter director teamed up with second graders to help rescue dogs get adopted.

Kensey Jones is a teacher at St. Michael’s Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia, as well as a volunteer for Richmond Animal Care & Control (RACC).

She and RACC director Christie Peters, who is also a mother of one of her students, came up with a brilliant idea to introduce the class to the beauty of pet adoption.

The class was introduced to a rescue puppy named Snow.

They were then given an exercise to write a persuasive letter to potential adopters, written in the dogs’ perspectives. They got to choose from a list of adoptable dogs or cats at the RACC, with a mind of focusing on older shelter residents than the younger, more adoptable puppies and kittens.

The kids were also provided information about the animals’ unique personalities, likes, and dislikes.

The letters, which were accompanied by drawings, would then be placed on the rescue pup’s shelter kennel, so that potential adopters can get to know more about them. The students wrote a total of 24 stories, and every one was adorable!

One kid wrote about Famous Amos: “I love, love, love belly rubs. I’m a very cute dog. Don’t you love my name? Am I a very cute dog, because I think I am? Do you love me? I hope you do because then you can adopt me!”

Christie said, “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.”

Kensey shared, “This classroom project collaboration allowed me to combine my two greatest passions, children’s literacy and helping animals in need. 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.”

Thanks to the wonderful project, eight animals have since found their forever homes!

Kensey and Christie hope that other schools will be inspired to find a similar way to help their local shelters and homeless pets.

Source: Inspire More