Girl Scout gets serious about pet ownership

Animals have always been a passion for Nicole Borman, so the choice for her Girl Scout Gold Award project was an easy one. She centered her project on pet care and the intricacies of owning an animal.

On Saturday at the Valley Stream Dog Park, Borman, 18, an ambassador in Girl Scout Troop 2497, hosted a pet fair, which is the biggest part of her Gold Award project. She spent weeks organizing the event and had Fur Babies Rescue, PETCO and the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter come out to the event in hopes of helping animals find homes.

“It’s primarily about pet care, not just adoption, but how to take care of them properly,” Borman said. “People don’t know about all the expenses and all the work that goes into raising a pet.”

Fur Babies brought four puppies to the event and the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter had two dogs and two cats. PETCO supplied information about pet grooming, training and other services it offers.

In addition to these organizations, Borman had Susan Infield, author of “Dakota’s Window,” a children’s book about pet adoption, come out to support the event. There was also a table for face paining provided by Anabel Wilpan.

Borman, who plans to study animal sciences and the University of Rhode Island in the fall after she graduates from Valley Stream Central High School, said her interest in pet care stems from first-hand experiences of seeing people give up their animals because of how expensive owning an animal can be, or not having the time to properly care for a pet.

“It gets to me because they’re not just animals,” she said. “They become part of your family. I love my dog, she’s like my daughter.”

Gelsy Freese, who works at the Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter, said that she was impressed with Borman’s work in planning the event and finding a time that worked for all the organizations.

“The girl worked very hard on her Gold Award,” Freese said. “It’s nice to take the animals out of the shelter and have them socialize.”