According to Paul Shane, executive director of the Humane Society, they came “to give back to our shelter animals and give back they did.” Collectively, they put in 180 hours of volunteer service, which is worth $5,057 in in-kind staffing hours.

They also brought approximately $400 worth of donations to support the animals.

While there, they helped clean up after and socialize the dogs and cats. The most important part of the visit though, according to Shane, was the humane education that they received while there.

“As a result of a humane education grant from the Fort Dodge Community Foundation, we were able to take some quality time with the students to teach them about our animals, how to safely approach them and read their body language,” he said. “We also dispelled the common myths associated with shelter animals and certain dog breeds, taught them about responsible pet ownership, the importance of getting your animals spayed and neutered, and the mutual benefits of adopting a shelter pet.”

When asked how they ended up at Almost Home, Becki Eggers, a seventh-grade teacher at Webster City Middle School and sponsor of the Community Service Club, said, “It was completely student driven. They chose Almost Home because they love animals and many of them had previously adopted animals there. They conducted a donation drive and were very proud to provide supplies to support the mission of Almost Home.”

Jamie Varangkounh, a counselor at Southeast Valley Middle School, echoed these statements.

“Each year our students choose end-of-year community service projects,” she said. “Every year they choose Almost Home. They love Almost Home, they love the animals and they love doing whatever they can to support them and help to get them adopted.”