Pet Care for Pennies
What Dorothy Did
When Dorothy noticed that some pet owners cannot take the financial strain of veterinary expenses, she decided that would be her issue for a Take Action project for her Gold Award.
“I grew up in a pet loving family and I knew firsthand that veterinary bills can be hefty,” she said.
She learned that financial struggles and lack of pet medical knowledge can lead to possible pet health deterioration, neglect, and even abandonment of an animal for fear of expensive veterinarian bills.
Dorothy decided to serve pet owners by educating them on how to manage general home pet care to help defray high vet bills.
An Ounce of Prevention
Working with a veterinarian, Dorothy created a pamphlet encouraging owners to keep up with their pet’s basic needs, as well as explaining how to treat minor pet health concerns from home. The pamphlets were distributed among various animal shelters in Michigan.
“My goal is to educate pet owners on ways of being proactive in taking care of their pets in order to stave off expensive vet bills,” she said.
Keeping up with routine care like proper nutrition, cleaning ears and clipping nails, will result in a healthier pet and fewer veterinarian visits.
Dorothy also developed the Pet Care for Pennies website, a resource directory for pet parents.
Her website shows how to find low-cost veterinary care or pet supplies, informs readers about the pet abandonment crisis, and more. She created an donation drive for the Caring for Cats nonprofit, which will serve pet owners by giving them physical supplies along with pet fostering.
What She Learned
Dorothy says that through her Take Action project, she learned how to communicate effectively and directly, collaborate with other groups, and how to keep organized.
Dorothy also was able to work on her public speaking skills with presentations to her school and at a local university. She co-hosted an event for pet owners at Madonna University with her veterinarian advisor, focusing on pet care planning, budgeting, preventative healthcare and how to talk with veterinarians.
Dorothy graduated from Divine Child High School. She is a Juliette Girl Scout.
Find Out More
Check out Dorothy on the GSSEM YouTube channel talking about her Take Action project and being a 2024 Gold Awards Girl Scout.
Congratulations, Dorothy!
