Coastal Pet Rescue Partners with St. Vincent’s Academy for New Animal Welfare Club
(Savannah, GA) - September 16, 2009
Service to others is not a new concept in Catholicism, and certainly not to St. Vincent’s Academy students and alumnae.
For the 2009-2010 school year, St. Vincent’s Academy teachers Rebecca Westgate and Megan Kitchens decided to partner with Coastal Pet Rescue to form a club that will allow SVA students to become more engaged with animal welfare.
“I have been more than blessed by the amount of support from my Alma Mater for CPR over the last few years,” says Lisa Scarbrough, president and founder of Coastal Pet Rescue. “This has been a project I’ve wanted to do for almost four years now, and I’m so excited to see it finally happen!”
In May of last year Westgate contacted Scarbrough, a 1997 alumna of SVA, about the idea. Both Westgate, who had recently adopted a rescued Shih Tzu from CPR, and Scarbrough served together on the yearbook staff during their time at SVA. Kitchens got involved as a CPR foster parent around the same time, and helped organize an on-campus BBQ fundraiser back in April that raised $1600 for the pet rescue.
“The response from the student body last year with the BBQ fundraiser was great,” says Westgate. “Many of our students have an interest in veterinary care, community service, and animals in general. Our clubs are designed to help the girls learn about things they wouldnt normally hear in a regular class, and I think they’re going to get a lot of valuable lessons from Lisa and her volunteer speakers.”
Students seem enthusiastic as well, with 42 joining the inaugural club.
The club will have their first meeting on September 17th. Scarbrough and a former rescue, Georgia, will join them on October 1st to share Georgia’s story and show first-hand how Coastal Pet Rescue changes lives for homeless and neglected animals.
During the school year, club members will be treated to presentations on various aspects of animal welfare by a variety of speakers as well as plan and conduct service projects to benefit Coastal Pet Rescue.
For more information, contact Lisa Scarbrough at 912-228-3538.
Coastal Pet Rescue is a 501(c)(3) non-profit animal rescue organization dedicated to saving the lives of homeless, abused and neglected dogs and cats in Savannah and surrounding areas. Founded in February 2003, Coastal Pet Rescue changes the lives of homeless pets in Chatham, Bryan and Effingham Counties through its foster home program and small capacity shelter, Camp Pawsawhile Retreat.
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