SMS students make dog toys for the animal shelter

  • Sharp Middle School students Anna Hegyi and Kendall Cummins, members of the school Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club, play with Scribbles, one of the residents of the Pendleton County Animal Shelter awaiting adoption. The girls spearheaded a project to make toys for the dogs at the shelter. Photo by Nila Harris
    Sharp Middle School students Anna Hegyi and Kendall Cummins, members of the school Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club, play with Scribbles, one of the residents of the Pendleton County Animal Shelter awaiting adoption. The girls spearheaded a project to make toys for the dogs at the shelter. Photo by Nila Harris
  • Some of the dog toys that FCCLA club members from Sharp Middle braided from old T-shirts. Each T-shirt can make three toys. Cummins and Hegyi picked up the craft from a YouTube video. Photo by Nila Harris
    Some of the dog toys that FCCLA club members from Sharp Middle braided from old T-shirts. Each T-shirt can make three toys. Cummins and Hegyi picked up the craft from a YouTube video. Photo by Nila Harris

    By Nila Harris

    BUTLER — When Sharp Middle School student Kendall Cummins was asked why she chose to make dog toys for the Pendleton County Animal Shelter, she said, “We love animals, and I got my dog there.”

    Cummins’ dog Presley was a rescue from the shelter.

    The SMS Family, Career and Community Leaders of America club met this month and made more than 25 dog toys as part of a community service project.

    FCCLA co-president Levi Wolfe talked about how he thought “it was pretty cool that we were able to help someone local.”

    Cummins and fellow FCCLA student Anna Hegyi decided on this project after speaking with Animal Control Officer John Bloomfield and Shelter Manager Taryn Collier about the need for dog toys.

    Cummins looked up on YouTube how to make the toys, then taught Hegyi.

    The two girls informed the FCCLA group about their plan and asked their friends to bring in T-shirts. The two girls taught the group how to make the dog toys by cutting up the shirts and braiding the fabric. Each shirt could be made into three toys, according to Cummins.

    Cummins and Hegyi are working on this project for FCCLA’s STAR competition, which will be held at Pendleton County High School later this month. As part of “Project Puppy,” the girls will give a speech detailing their process and create a poster, complete with pictures of the steps taken.

    After the group made the dog toys, Cummins and Hegyi took the items to the shelter and spent time playing with the dogs there. Both girls fell in love with a dog named Scribbles. Both described the brindle dog as super friendly with two different colored eyes.

    Hegyi stated that there were several items the animal shelter could use, including laundry detergent, Dawn dish washing liquid, 55-gallon trash bags, flea and tick capsules, collars of all sizes, dog leashes, Purina Moist and Meaty soft dog food, chicken and beef broth, spray cheese, and soft dog treats such as Pupperonis.

    Bloomfield’s wife, Bonnie, said, “The kids making toys is awesome. It’s good for kids to know they matter and have the heart to give of themselves.”