Pup Patrol Helps Dogs in a Pickle

A group of fifth-grade students at Brandon Elementary School in Brandon, Mississippi, has been very busy helping dogs in a pickle … by selling pickles. That’s right—while working together on their robotics team, the students chose to research shelter dogs and came up with a unique way of helping them.

The students learned that many shelter dogs are euthanized every year because of overpopulation, but that this can be prevented by spaying or neutering companion animals. Their kind teacher, Donna Mabus, allowed her students to channel their empathy for dogs into inspirational action.

The students of Pup Patrol 6615 brought awareness to the issue by designing 50 Bark Boxes for their school to help collect food and supplies for local shelters. They also came up with a creative solution to partner with Big Fix Clinic to help reduce spay and neuter costs by selling jars of homemade pickles, cleverly named “I’m in a Pickle Pickles.” Each jar includes an educational label and a $5 coupon for a spaying or neutering procedure at a local facility.

The team’s hard work and dedication helped them win a state robotics competition and a Judges’ Award at a world championship where they competed against 40 other countries in Houston. These kind kids also distributed the PETA Kids “Kids’ Guide to Helping Animals” and “Adopt. Spay. Neuter.” stickers to those in attendance.

Congratulations to these hard-working students for their dedication to helping animals and to their teacher for encouraging them to explore their passions.

What issues are important to your students? Use this team’s example to inspire your class to make the world a better place for all beings.

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