COTTAGE GROVE – A Pleasant Hill student donated over 2,600 pounds of animal supplies to a local organization in Cottage Grove last month.
Kyle Dean, a 16-year-old student and Troop 61 Eagle Scout, said he wanted to “do something outside the box.”
Paws and Whiskers Society (PAWS) in Cottage Grove is a charitable organization that helps animals through financial assistance for spay/neuter procedures. Friends at the Elk Lodge in Cottage Grove were looking to raise awareness of the community’s animal overpopulation, especially cats, so they volunteered to create PAWS.
According to the organization’s website, one of PAWS’s main goals is to educate the public about the benefits of spaying or neutering pets. The volunteer-based group raises money to help cover the costs of procedures in the community.
In October, Dean reached out to businesses, spread the word, and stockpiled donations for the organization. According to Dean, he gathered 1,272 pounds of dog food, 805 pounds of cat food, 530 pounds of cat litter, about 90 pounds of toys, and 10 pounds of treats.
Family, friends, and other scout members helped Dean get the word out about his project. His initial goal of 1,000 pounds of pet food was quickly met when flyers were posted throughout Lowell, Dexter, Pleasant Hill, Springfield, Eugene, and Creswell, with a link to an Amazon wishlist where folks could make donations.
Dean also reached out to brands like Purina, Pedigree, Blue Buffalo, World’s Best Cat Litter, and The Farmer’s Dog and received donations from them. He said donations were sent to his sister’s house and collected on a pallet until it was time to drop them off at PAWS.
He explained that he wanted to do something different than “the regular making a bench or cleaning up a trail,” he said.
In addition to the pet supplies, Dean also built cat-scratch posts with members from other Boy Scout Troops and received $30 in donations from Moose Lodge 1726.
