When a local animal rescue hosted a writing contest, Willis Elementary student, Ethan, submitted a story about his favorite furry friend, Snickers.
To celebrate it's 20th anniversary, Cat Depot, located in Sarasota, asked students to write about kindness, love and care for animals.
Ethan’s essay “My Pet Pal” about his guinea pig won the contest for the fourth-grade level.
“His fur is the color of a candy bar, and he is so sweet,” he wrote. “I sure do love my Snickers!”
The essay detailed the care of guinea pigs and their personalities.
“Every morning he greets me,” wrote Ethan. “We are happy to see each other. What a great way to start each day!”
The first-place prize wasn’t a certificate, or a ribbon.
It was an opportunity to read his essay to the four-legged residents of Cat Depot’s adoption and education center.
The photos were a-mew-sing. Quietly lying on a scratching post, the kitty listened intently to Ethan talking about Snickers the guinea pig and how he jumps in the air making a noise like popcorn popping.
This reward isn’t something new for the Sarasota non-profit. Part of their services include public education and family activities.
Reading to cats is a regular activity offered by Cat Depot (for a small donation).
There’s also ‘Critter’ camp, ‘Namastray’ yoga sessions and a badge program for boy/girl scouts.
This month, Cat Depot partnered with the Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading – Remake Learning Days, a festival of free educational events for families.
Students and adults can register for ‘Feline Photography’ on Sunday, April 21st.
Staff will teach participants how to take quality pictures of animals with a camera or smartphone.
This fun activity will help kids, ages 5-18, learn about photography, and help the organization find fur-ever homes for its homeless felines.
Cat Depot is located at 2542 17th Street in Sarasota. For more information, please visit their website at www.catdepot.org.
Click this link to view more about Suncoast Remake Learning Days: https://remakelearningdays.org/suncoast/