Girl Scout From Livingston Is Speaking Up For Older Dogs
LIVINGSTON, NJ — A Girl Scout from Livingston is embarking on a quest to ease overcrowding at nearby animal shelters by raising awareness about older dogs.
As part of her quest to attain a Gold Award – the highest honor a Girl Scout can achieve – Helena Drakulich of Troop 20290 is working with several shelters and rescue organizations to shine some more light on a vulnerable population of animals in need.
According to Drakulich, a student at Livingston High School, senior dogs over 7-years-old are among the most abandoned pets – and the least adopted.
Shelters in New Jersey and across the country have been severely overcrowded since the COVID-19 pandemic. See Related: Animal Shelters Are Hitting Their Breaking Point Across North Jersey
Drakulich has gotten a glimpse into the daily lives of senior dogs, volunteering at local shelters and rescue organizations including East Hanover's Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter, Rosemarie's Rescue Ranch in Verona, and St. Hubert's Animal Welfare Center in Madison.
"I often see the same dogs overlooked, month after month," Drakulich said. "Many of these are senior dogs. I think a lot of people want to adopt the younger dogs, or think the puppies are cuter, but they don't realize how great senior dogs can be."
These days, senior dogs are living even longer due to veterinary advances. And they come with other benefits: many are already trained and know how to behave.
Drakulich has put on a full court press when it comes to raising awareness about her cause. She spent the summer and early fall distributing informational fliers that she created about senior dogs at community pet fairs, including Mt. Pleasant Animal Shelter's Pet Palooza, Barktoberfest at The Turtle Back Zoo, Eleventh Hour Rescue's Puptoberfest in Succasunna, Verona's Celebration of Pets and other local events.
This week, Drakulich spoke at the Livingston Senior Community Center, extolling the virtues of older dogs as potential companions. To aid her effort, she recruited two other local pet lovers for the task: middle school students Sonia Shah of Berkeley Heights and Ainsley Cook of Lake Hiawatha.
Drakulich said she hopes to complete the hours she needs for her Gold Award sometime after the new year. She plans to study animal science or zoology in college.
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