MOUNT VERNON – Aubrey Holloway, with a ebook in hand, sits on a grey blanket studying to Bellasaurus.
Bellasaurus is a retriever pitbull combine who’s discovered her technique to Knox County Dog Shelter looking for a home.
Holloway and Bellasaurus discovered one another by way of WAGS, a program destined to carry Mount Vernon Middle School college students and shelter dogs collectively for an hour of studying every week.
The group, led by Mount Vernon Middle School English trainer Trudy Debolt, has learn to Knox County shelter dogs for 10 years, honoring forgotten and deserted Vietnam War service dogs.
The ardour venture was sparked by the ebook “Cracker!” which follows the story of a Vietnam Service canine of the identical day and his provider.
When American servicemembers have been ordered to go away Vietnam, army dogs have been deemed “expandable surplus equipment” thus left to the South Vietnamese.
“What we love is kids make this trip on a Saturday and choose to do this,” Debolt stated. “They could be doing anything else.”
Debolt stated college students collaborating in WAGS renew their religion sooner or later era.
Though Debolt’s college students who take part in WAGS are sixth graders, seventh grader Austin Higgins who was in Debolt’s class final yr, continues to take part in this system.
“I do it because when I see these dogs, I try to give them as much hope as I can,” Higgins stated.
For Higgins, it’s about brightening a canine’s day.
“I’ll try to keep doing this as long as I can,” Higgins stated.
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This unbiased, native reporting supplied by our Report for America Corps members is dropped at you partly by the beneficiant assist of the Knox County Foundation and Assembly.
