Be Kind to Animals Week®

Meet the Winners of American Humane’s 2009 Be Kind to Animals™ Kid Contest

For this year’s Be Kind to Animals Kid Contest, we received nominations of tireless volunteers, fundraisers, animal rescuers and young humane educators from coast to coast. American Humane applauds all the nominees -- they all have a passion for helping animals and their humane values and actions serve as an example to others.

Meet the Winners of American Humane’s 2009 Be Kind to Animals™ Kid Contest

About the Grand-Prize Winners

The Grand Prize winner in each category -- ages 6 to 12 and 13 to 17 -- receives $1,000 and an American Humane prize package.

Annie Lee Vankleeck (6)

Shokan, N.Y.
Grand Prize Winner, Ages 6-12

Comforting Pit Bulls

“Every chance she gets, Annie tries to help pit bulls,” said her mother, Sharon.

Wanting to do something to help animals, Annie and her family went online to look at their local shelters’ websites. After finding out that Out of the Pits, a nonprofit pit bull rescue in Albany, needed gently used blankets and towels, Annie made it her mission to fulfill that need.

Annie applied for a spot at the town’s annual Olive Day festival, and sat there all day, collecting used blankets and towels. She went to yard sales and persuaded people to donate their blankets, or she bought them. She collected blankets and towels at school. And she is still going strong.

Annie knows that a simple towel or blanket can comfort a dog in a shelter. When asked what the dogs do with the towels and blankets, she replied, “They snuggle with them, and if they’re cold, they probably put them on.”

Annie is dog-savvy, says Sharon, and she knows that you have to ask the owner before petting a strange dog. She is keenly aware that people can be prejudiced against or afraid of pit bulls, so she will not bring her pet pit bull, Ike, to show and tell at school.

For her upcoming 7th birthday party, she is asking her guests to forego bringing her gifts, and bring towels and blankets for “the doggies” instead. When her mother, Sharon, asked whether she wouldn’t really rather have presents for herself, Annie insisted on donations, saying, “It’s the only way, mommy.”

Abby Jungers (13)

St. Peters, Mo.
Grand Prize Winner, Ages 13-17

Super Volunteer

When Abby’s mother, Michelle, first took her to the St. Charles Humane Society to volunteer, she thought it might hold Abby’s interest for a couple weeks. Ten months and more than 700 volunteer hours later, Abby is there every day and can hardly be pulled away.

At the shelter, Abby can and will jump in anywhere. She cleans kennels, walks dogs, feeds and waters animals, sets up beds and helps with heartworm tests. She goes to new volunteer orientations and helps train the new recruits. She can even fill in for staff members when they call in sick. And outside of the shelter, she goes to shelter events and fundraisers, distributes fliers about the shelter and participates in mobile adoptions.

Abby will take on even the least desirable tasks at the shelter, all in the name of helping animals. Says Michelle, Abby has seen all the unpleasantness that one can see in an animal shelter, yet she is still passionate about it.

Abby has always loved animals, and enjoys spending time with and caring for the animals during their time at the shelter. “It is sometimes sad if you get attached to a dog and it leaves,” she said.

Although currently too young to be a paid employee at the shelter, Abby has already figured out that she can be hired when she turns 14 this summer. And she plans to be. “It’s really fun,” she explained. “I love being with the animals.”

About the Runners-Up

Two Runners-Up in each category -- ages 6 to 12 and 13 to 17 -- each receive $500 cash plus an American Humane prize package.

Monica Plumb (11)

Powhatan, Va.
Runner-Up, Ages 6-12

Helping Firefighters Help Pets

Monica Plumb told her parents that she wanted to help animals, and they told her that she needed a specific cause. So she found one. She saw a news story about a firefighter using a special oxygen mask to help a dog that suffered smoke inhalation after a fire. She wondered if the local fire department had such life-saving masks and found out they wanted some.

So she set to work making collection cans and fliers and placing them in local businesses. Within a few weeks, she was presenting the masks to the fire department.

Her success spurred her to keep going. With help from her dad, she created a website (petmask.com) to publicize the need for such masks and accept online donations. She has even partnered with SurgiVet, the makers of the masks, to get the lowest price. The masks fit animals better than masks designed for people do, and can be used with everything from large dogs, cats and rats to snakes and tiny birds.

Both requests for masks and donations come through petmask.com and so far, Monica has helped fire departments in five states and one in Canada. She is still raising money for more requests.

Pets can be more vulnerable to smoke inhalation. As Monica explained, “A lot of times, in fires, pets are scared and they hide instead of trying to get out.”

Rylie Sullivan (10)

Herndon, Va.
Runner-Up, Ages 6-12

Helping Pets and Families in Tough Times

While at the veterinarian’s office, Rylie saw a poster asking for donations of pet food to help families care for their pets in tough economic times, and not have to give them up to shelters. Rylie has always loved animals, and he wanted to help. “I don’t know what it feels like to lose your pet,” said Rylie, “but I know it wouldn’t feel good.” So, using his own money as a start-up fund, he made fliers and posted them on doors and mailboxes around the neighborhood. He also put out letters to family and friends, asking for pet food donations. He found a local shelter -- the Humane Society of Fairfax County -- with a program to benefit families in need, and donated the food.

The shelter, like plenty of other shelters around the country, has been inundated with pets given up by people who can no longer afford to take care of them. Their program, AniMeals, acts as a food pantry and gives generously and without restriction to families with pets. Through his efforts, Rylie was able to donate almost 1,000 pounds of food. And he even wrote personal thank-you notes to each donor..”

Shelley Johnson (15)

Lake Stevens, Wash.
Runner-Up, Ages 13-17

Providing Stability at the Stables

If the abused and unwanted horses at the Equine Rescue Association (ERA) in Marysville, Wash., have a friend, it’s Shelley Johnson. Shelley is a devoted volunteer, cleaning out stalls, grooming the horses, feeding and watering them, and generally providing TLC.

Many of the horses at ERA were abused, given up because their owners couldn’t afford them or simply old. Some just stay temporarily or are adopted out, but many have found a permanent home there. Shelley may also have found permanency there -- she has spent the last year and a half volunteering, and plans to continue. “They need me,” she said. “They’ve had a bad past.”

Although she has formed bonds with many of the horses, one in particular, Chaut, tugs at her heart. He was abused and shy, and Shelley spent more than a year gaining his trust. “He’s really sweet -- I’m constantly giving him treats.”

Shelley also does quite a bit of fundraising for ERA, giving birthday money, standing outside stores with signs, making and selling jewelry, face painting and selling candy. She has raised nearly $900 at store events alone.

Casey Mills (13)

Mt. Airy, Md.
Runner-Up, Ages 13-17

Volunteer and Educator

As a volunteer at Frederick County Animal Control, Casey is devoted and dedicated to helping animals. When Lily, an older, arthritic and underweight German shepherd, came into the shelter, workers worried the dog might be unadoptable because of her age and medical needs. Casey begged for the opportunity to take Lily home for the weekend and give her special care. She cooked chicken and rice for Lily, and slept on the floor with her. When the weekend was over, she accompanied Lily back to the shelter, and wrote a story about her to display for potential adopters. Lily was adopted two days later.

Casey is currently planning and organizing a weeklong summer day camp for fourth and fifth graders. The camp will feature activities, special guests and speakers, craft projects and of course, animals, to educate children on how to properly care for pets. She has even invited a mobile veterinarian to do hands-on activities with the kids. Said Casey, “a lot of kids don’t know how to take care of animals.”

She has also been organizing a Be Kind to Animals Week poster contest for local children and hanging the posters at the shelter. She has planned an awards reception for the kids, complete with ribbons for the winners.

Be Kind to Animals Week®

The American Humane Association created Be Kind to Animals Week in 1915 to celebrate the unique bond between people and animals. Every year, animal shelters throughout the country hold special events during this special week to raise awareness about being kind to animals, and to teach people about the amazing roles animals play in our lives. Be Kind to Animals Week is a great time to promote our nation’s animal welfare organizations and to encourage everyone to get involved to make a difference for animals.