by Lauren Cavagnolo | Photos by Kate Hartman
It’s a sweltering summer day in June, and most of their peers are swimming
in a neighborhood pool or enjoying shaved ice at a snow-cone shack, but Annie, Grace, and Reese are hard at work. They are busy painting the doghouse they built from scratch after months of research and planning.
The three young ladies, all aged 11, have big hearts for dogs. They have chosen Unchain OK, a program of the Oklahoma Alliance for Animals, as the recipient of their efforts to earn the Bronze Award, the highest-ranking award that Girl Scout Juniors can earn. To earn the award, the Girl Scout must do something to better her community. To be eligible to earn the Bronze Award, a girl must first complete a Girl Scout “journey,” or series of badges on the same topic.
The three girls from a local troop in the
Tulsa area decided to build a doghouse from scratch and to refurbish old doghouses in support of Unchain OK’s mission to provide dogs with shelter from the elements.
Troop leader Kate Hartman said the three girls began to meet in November 2020 (meeting virtually for months because of COVID-19) to brainstorm ideas, research, and plan.
“It was pretty unanimous that they wanted to help pets or animals,” Hartman recalled. “They did some research. They had read about Unchain OK going out into the community and putting out doghouses for dogs that have to stay outside. So that’s what they landed on.”
Extreme weather conditions in Oklahoma make it crucial for outdoor pets to have access to shelter.
“It’s Oklahoma weather, so you will never know,” Annie said. “When it is hot, [a doghouse] gives them shade, and when it is cold, it gives them warmth.”
Reese said she loves dogs, and her own dog is part of her inspiration for choosing this particular project.
“I know about how many dogs have to sleep outside and in shelters,” Reese said. “My dog Pepper is from Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF), and I know how she was treated when she was little.”
In addition to building and refurbishing doghouses, the three girls also decided to purchase items from Unchain OK’s wish list with money earned through fund-raising. “There are some dogs that need homes, and homeless dogs and dogs in shelters don’t have toys,” Grace added. “We are going to donate some toys and food, and that will help the dogs not be as bored.”
After selecting the project and discussing it with Unchain OK, the next step was funding the project.
“It was a weird year, so not everyone in their troop sold cookies, but these three girls did,” Hartman said. “So they got some money, around $200 from their troop. And they have been sewing dog bandannas for $5 a bandanna. So far, between their troop money and the bandannas, we have raised $550 to fund this project.”
Unfortunately, by the time the girls were ready to purchase supplies, the cost of lumber had increased dramatically, another negative impact of COVID-19. This threw a hurdle into their original plan to build multiple doghouses.
“They learned the hard way that we could only build one doghouse,” Hartman said. “So because of that, we also kind of pivoted. We have been collecting some free doghouses that we are also refurbishing.”
As part of the requirements for earning the Bronze Award, each girl must contribute 20 hours of volunteer work. Planning meetings, shopping for supplies, and building the doghouse all count toward that requirement. However, the girls have also spent additional time sewing bandannas to raise funds, and that time is not counted toward the total.
“Watching them research, plan, fund, build, and complete this project has been amazing for me as a Girl Scout volunteer,” Hartman shared. “I did not need to help steer them at all; they knew exactly what they wanted to accomplish and worked
together to make it happen. I’m proud of them for making this long-term goal and completing the project, with all three going well over the service-hour requirements of the Bronze Award. They also impressed me with their willingness to take on the separate fund-raiser (selling dog bandannas) in order to make up a funding gap caused by lumber prices.”
Because of the Girl Scouts’ COVID-19 policies, the girls had to wait until they could meet outside in person to begin construction.
“We did a lot of planning with Zoom meetings, but luckily this summer, the Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma moved to the hybrid phase, so luckily, we could meet outside,” Hartman said. “The first day, it was seven hours that we were working, and the girls didn’t complain a bit.”
The final step will be for the girls to submit a report to the council detailing the project, how it will improve the community, and what lessons they learned along the way.
“A big thing they have learned and what we have focused on is using power tools,” Hartman shared. “They all jumped at the chance to learn how to use power tools to build something by hand. They have used a miter saw, circular saw, air-powered nail gun, they used sanders, multiple drills, drill bits, and learned how to drill a pilot hole. So that was pretty great.”
Reese said she feels really proud of all that she and her Girl Scout sisters have accomplished and learned.
“I couldn’t have built that by myself,” she added. “I learned how to use the saw and how to have lots of teamwork.”
All the girls agreed that helping dogs was a big motivator for them.
“It was really cool getting to help dogs because dogs are my favorite animal. I got to do a lot of teamwork stuff like cutting all the boards and nailing them together,” Grace said. “We all love helping dogs and animals, they are a big part of our lives.”
Annie added, “I hope [the doghouses] provide good shelter for the dogs in need.”
All the girls especially wanted other kids to know that people of any age can make an impact in their communities if they set their minds to it.
“They wanted to convey to other kids if you want to do something to change your community, especially during COVID times, by going to the computer and researching what you want to do, there are plenty of ways to get that done, even as a kid,” Hartman said.
