Vanessa Lagana is proving that you don’t need to be an adult to make a positive difference in the world. The Midland fifth grader has always enjoyed caring for her family’s three Chihuahuas – Chance, Pepper, and Skipper – and wanted to take her love of animals a few steps further.
Vanessa Lagana is proving that you don’t need to be an adult to make a positive difference in the world. The Midland fifth grader has always enjoyed caring for her family’s three Chihuahuas – Chance, Pepper, and Skipper – and wanted to take her love of animals a few steps further.
Earlier this year, she was approved as a Junior Volunteer at Pets Alive Westchester in Elmsford. At the shelter, she enjoys spending time visiting with cats and walking dogs, and always pays extra special attention to the senior pets, which are less likely to be adopted.
One evening in early August, while logged onto the Pets Alive website (petsalivewest.org), she read their wish list and immediately sprang into fundraising action. Since one of her first observations as a volunteer was that many of the dogs sleep on hard, wooden pallets, she decided that all of the funds she raised would be used to purchase comfortable Kuranda dog and cat beds.
First, she decorated a shoe box to collect donations, which was placed at her family’s business, Rockridge Deli and Flowers, the very next morning. Over the past two months, Vanessa has hosted lemonade stands at the edge of her driveway, and visited many of the homes in the neighborhood and beyond, including her aunt’s Port Chester neighborhood, to introduce herself and her cause. The overwhelming majority of people were extremely generous and supportive of her efforts. She sent hand written thank-you notes to all those who contributed $10 or more.
To date, Vanessa has raised over $910. Late last month, she visited Pets Alive with her family, and excitedly told staff there that she would be ordering one nine-tier cat tower, one two-tier cat tower, and 11 large dog beds through Kuranda’s Donate To A Shelter Program, which offers discounted prices to those who order products to be shipped directly to a registered shelter.
“I feel great about raising money to buy comfortable beds for shelter dogs and cats,” said Vanessa. “The animals there mean so much to me.”
