By NANCY HILER
The youngsters read about the U.S. Humane Society's Stop Puppy Mills campaign, and began raising money for the cause.
Puppy mills are breeding centers where dogs are caged for life with only one purpose: to breed until they die. They are often malnourished, and are left in the cold in winter and the sweltering heat in summer.
The Shore Road students raised $1,020 with bake sales -- goodies included homemade dog biscuits as well as treats for humans -- and a lemonade stand. The Stop Puppy Mills campaign is taking on the mass dog breeding industry with investigations, litigation, disaster services and publicity.
The fifth-graders decided to donate half of the money they raised to the Humane Society and the other half to the Angel's Gate Animal Hospice, a home for special-needs animals in Smithtown. Angel's Gate cares for rescued dogs, many of whom require physical therapy, medical attention and nursing often owing to cancer, liver or kidney disease, paralysis, blindness, and orthopedic or geriatric problems.
The students invited representatives from both organizations to the school recently for a special assembly on puppy mills. At the event, students presented the officials with their checks.
Angel's Gate representative Kimberly Serino and her daughter Keelia attended, bringing with them one of the dogs the group helped, a beagle named Scrappy. Humane Society officials were so impressed with the children that the organization's state director, Patrick Kwan, came to the assembly to thank them.
Comments about this story? NHiler@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 234.
