Donna Mathias, a fourth-grade teacher at Fulks Run Elementary School, came up with the idea of having a Pet Club join the many clubs already in the school.
Donna, also the founder of Almost Heaven Animal Rescue, LLC, knows first- hand the importance of educating young people in animal care.
In December, the students in her club made blankets for shelter animals. In January, they hosted a guest speaker from the Rockingham Harrisonburg Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals- better known by the acronym, SPCA.
Aaron Cleveland, Director of Engagement, was an engaging (!) and personable speaker, capturing the interest of his young crowd. Although he doesn’t get to interact much with the animals at the shelter, he is in charge of marketing and raising money for the SPCA. His talk was underscored by the occasional plaintive mewing of Squash, a shelter cat he brought along. Prior to working here in Rockingham, Aaron used to be a consultant for a zoo, designing shelters for the animals.
The basis of his talk, complete with power point presentation, was the importance of spaying and neutering your pets, with an emphasis on cats. Did you know, in a 7 year period, almost 5,000 cats can result from one cat’s litter?
The SPCA’s “mission and vision is to create a community that is free of pet homelessness and animal suffering through adoption and advocacy. We want every pet to be in a home, and not on the cold streets of Rockingham County.”
In 2024, the students were shocked to learn that there were almost 2,700 animals coming through the shelter. This is a shelter designed to hold 60 dogs at a time. 1,923 animals got adopted. Almost 90% of the animals in the no kill shelter find new homes each year. Aaron raises monies for the Have a Heart Fund, which helps pay for care of the injured animals that come to the shelter.
The students learned about the different programs within the shelter: Barn Cat Program, Community Cat Program, Have a Heart Fund, Foster Program, and Volunteer Program. There are always new plans in the works for the shelter, which will be announced at a later time. Stay tuned!
All in all, the kids were very interested in what Aaron had to say, and many learned things that they were not aware of. The goal of Donna Mathias’ Pet Club, which is for third, fourth, and fifth graders, is to expand the knowledge of her students, and hopefully what they learn, they will share with others. Spreading the word on behalf of animal welfare is important.
After the half hour program, as the student filed out of the classroom, they got to meet Squash, the cat who not so patiently waited in the carrier. A sweet kitty, who was a little overwhelmed by the crowds, willingly accepted a gentle pet from each student as they left.
Donna is always looking for animal related speakers to come to the club. If you or anyone you know might fit that bill, contact Donna Mathias at Fulks Run Elementary School.
