Oak Forest 8th Grader Raises Money For Low-Kill Animal Shelter

OAK FOREST, IL — Josh Slaviero took a look at the chihuahua-boxer mix pup that TLC Animal Shelter offered for adoption and fell in love. He brought her home that day.

That was just about a year ago. The boy was so grateful for his dog, whom he now calls Zoey, that when it came time to do his service project for National Junior Honor Society, his purpose was clear. Slaviero, 14, would raise money for the Homer Glen shelter that introduced him to his new dog.

"Zoey is a great dog and I just wanted to give back," the Oak Forest eighth-grader said.

What moved him most is that TLC is a low-kill shelter that euthanizes only in extreme cases, coordinator Janine Carter said, and it accepts out-of-state animals that otherwise would suffer or die. Carter said they take in 20 to 30 such animals each week. Zoey comes from Kentucky. Josh picked her up when she was about five weeks old and about three pounds — so small, he and his mother put a bell on her collar because they were afraid they were going to lose her.

"It takes a special individual and a fine young man like Josh who is interested in animals and wanting to help in whatever way he can," Carter said.

Josh's service project is a membership requirement for the National Junior Honor Society, or NJSH, which honors students who have demonstrated excellence in scholarship, service, leadership, character and citizenship. Josh could have chosen anything. But he recalled seeing the shelter's need for donations and built a plan from scratch to help meet those needs.

His is a full-blown marketing plan to solicit money and goods for TLC. Using his birthday money, he bought a domain name for the website. He coded the site himself and developed the content with the assistance of a shelter staff member. He set a goal — $500 — and put messages out to family and on social media. He also plans to go door-to-door to spread the word.

Josh said he chose $500 because he remember that gives donors patron status and qualifies them to get their name on a plaque. His mother, Jenelle McKinley, said he was shocked when he hit $170 in the first week. That goal, she said, may slide a little higher.

She was a little surprised herself by his dedication. "He's never done anything like this before," she said. "I am so very proud of him."

Carter said the money will go toward the shelter's Bertha Medical Fund, which pays for extremely ill animals. It's named after a stray pit bull they took in and thought was pregnant. She was in the ends stages of heartworm and couldn't be saved, Carter said.

For his part, Josh takes his newfound attention in stride. When he's not working on the project, he's at school or playing his alto sax. Or just chilling.

"It’s just good to give back to the community," he said.

You can see Josh's work or make a donation at http://helptlc.org/.