Monday, May 19, 2025
Students at Covert Elementary School were given a heartfelt lesson in compassion when representatives from Last Hope Animal Rescue in Wantagh visited to speak about the importance of adopting shelter pets and supporting local rescues.
Denise McDermott, a volunteer with Last Hope, brought her rescue dog Madison, a one-year-old golden retriever, to the school on April 23 to help introduce the students to the world of animal rescue. The students all cheered as Madison smiled and wagged her tail on the stage next to McDermott.
McDermott and another volunteer, Dan Drucker, used a slideshow presentation to explain Last Hope’s mission, which works to rescue abandoned, sick and stray cats and dogs and match them with loving homes.
“Some dogs and cats end up in shelters or on the streets because they were lost, and the rescues help find them new families who will take care of them,” McDermott told the students. “They need new homes, need families to love them and teach them what to do, just like your teachers here teach you, you guys teach them at home.”
Throughout the presentation, students learned what it means to adopt a rescue animal and how the students, even at a young age, can help make a difference.
“Giving a dog love and affection is very important to them,” McDermott told the crowd. “They need that too, just as much as we do.”
Patrice Camastro, a teacher at Covert who helped organize the event, shared her personal connection to the cause and to the shelter, explaining how she found her new dog, Trixie, there.
“This rescue is close to me because my dog died after 17 years and then I found my Trixie,” she said. “There are so many other animals out there that need help and need homes.”
Students had also been busy in the weeks leading up to the visit, collecting a wide range of donations for Last Hope, including pet beds, food, toys, leashes and collars. All the donations together filled eight large cardboard boxes, which McDermott and Drucker brought to the shelter. They also raised money to buy gift cards to Petco, Target, PetSmart and Walmart for the shelter to purchase supplies they need.
Kindergarteners also designed posters with their “fifth grade buddies” to advertise the schoolwide pet supply drive, using stickers, markers and printed pictures of animals to decorate.
The presentation ended with encouragement for students to consider helping out shelters or volunteering with local animal organizations in the future. McDermott explained that there are many ways to support local animal rescues, including volunteering, donating toys or food and spreading awareness. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts can get involved by building items for animals or organizing donation drives, she also pointed out, offering ways to give support.
The students also got the opportunity to ask McDermott questions, which ranged from “How many dogs and cats does Last Hope get in a year” — about 300 dogs and 600 cats, she answered — and “What is Madison’s favorite food to eat?” — chicken and cheese.
Last Hope, a nonprofit animal rescue organization, is dedicated to saving stray and abandoned animals while promoting responsible pet ownership and controlling pet overpopulation through spay/neuter programs, according to the website. Since its founding in 1981 by Janet Brasco and Gerry Walsh, the group has grown to more than 600 volunteers and supporters, operating out of its Wantagh Adoption Center and placing hundreds of cats and dogs into carefully screened homes each year.
Over the decades, Last Hope has expanded its outreach with free or low-cost veterinary services, vaccination clinics, and an extensive feral cat spay/neuter program known as Fix-A-Feral, which has altered more than 10,000 cats in the past decade. The organization has also engaged in public education, pet adoption events and partnerships with local shelters, all with the goal of improving the lives and futures of animals on Long Island.
Visit LastHopeAnimalRescue.org to learn more.
