The Animal Awareness Club is a club new to Stillwater. The members strive to find exciting new ways to promote animal wellness and help the animals in the community at local shelters. They donate not only goods the animals may need, but also their time to research and learn about how students can help support animals in our community.
The Animal Awareness Club helps members become aware of the actions they take and how they might impact animals around them. It is a no-brainer students that are looking to make sure to sustain the lives of animals in our ecosystem should join the club.
Junior June Thury, co-president of the club, said the biggest effect the club has on the community is that they have the ability to share about “the impacts of our actions on animals“ and share we students what actions they can take to “how to best help them thrive”.
Students help the animals at the shelters by making things that the animals are able to use. Instead of just fundraising and donating money they take an active role by making tangible goods to give.
Co-president, junior Ava Fox, said that she is excited for their upcoming meetings where they will be making dog toys and donating them to local animal shelters.
The club over looks more than just how people can help animals. The leaders share all about recent news with animals all around the world.
“We like the do fun activities and have discussions about things such as animal cruelty/testing, extinction rates, and newly discovered species,” Thury said.
The club leaders strive to cultivate a fun and exciting environment for members in the club. They come up with new ways for students to gain interest in helping animals in need.
“I enjoy just like seeing everyone like have a good time. Just like have fun learning. I like to make it a fun environment and just like exciting to learn about ways that we can help them promoting the wellness of animals,” Fox said.
The club started because Fox and Thury were looking for a club to learn about the welfare of animals and a way to help them. But, they soon realized there was no club like that at Stillwater Area High School.
“Ava and I have always loved animals and when we realized there wasn’t a club, we wanted to create one,” Thury said.
Recently the club has been gaining new members and getting a larger sphere of influence on the community, a trend the leaders hope to continue so they can build a community more equipped to help animals around us.
“I hope the club continues to grow and spread awareness about animal well-being and how we can all help support them in our community,” Thury said.
The club meets every other Wednesday before school in biology teacher Sarah Bartlett’s room and is constantly looking for new members. Students that have any interest in expanding their knowledge about animals and giving to animals in our community should undoubtedly join the Animal Awareness Club.
Thury concluded, “The best way to support the club is just by showing up to the meetings.”
