It’s rare for children not to like animals, especially dogs. Kids that grew up with pets usually have them as their first best friends. They forge a strong bond and create wonderful experiences. To some, these interactions instill a great passion for helping other creatures.
This is what happened to an 11-year-old boy from New York named Evan Bisnauth. The young middle school student spent hours comforting canines and even won an award for his dedication to helping shelter dogs.
Exposure
Evan’s mom knew that her child loved dogs. So when she heard about a program where kids can read books to shelter dogs, she immediately jumped at the chance for her son to be a part of it. The program doesn’t just help children enhance their reading skills, it also helps the canines learn how to socialize with humans. Plus, she knew the boy would have a great time.
She was right. On the first day alone, Evan spent five hours reading to one of the dogs. Her son was hooked and asked his mom if he could go to the shelter every weekend.
The best thing about it is that the more exposure the dog had to humans, the higher the chances they would be adopted.
Evan was having the time of his life. But when the pandemic hit, his frequent visits were cut off.
Recognition
The young boy decided that if he couldn’t read stories for the shelter dogs, then he would share their stories with the community. Evan started a Facebook page that he uses to advertise adoptable shelter animals. He even drew some cartoons and made them into videos.
The short clips were fun and entertaining. They usually featured a volunteer interviewing the adoptable dogs. Because of that, many of the animals found their forever homes.
Evan’s efforts to help those animals in need impressed animal advocates, and he was given the 2021 ASPCA’s Kid of the Year Award. His work has made him an inspiration to others.
Source: Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC) via Facebook
