They already have something of an animal shelter at home with five dogs to care for but that doesn’t stop Abbey and Jackie Seek from spreading their love for animals all around.
Jackie Seek, 12, and Abbey Seek, 9, both of Diamond, worked with their mother, Jenny Seek, to make sugar cookies and sell them to raise money for Carthage Humane Society.
The sisters raised $333, which they presented to the Society on Monday.
The Seek family, including dad, Dwight Seek, credited Abbey with coming up with the idea to raise money for the Society.
“Well, I just really love dogs,” Abbey said. “We volunteered here and after I got Corine from the shelter, I just really wanted to raise money for the shelter so I guess that’s why. I really love dogs.”
Corine is a gold Welsh Corgi mix with a lovable disposition and a slightly possessive attitude toward her family.
Corine wasn’t real happy when she saw Abbey and Jackie playing with other dogs from the shelter in the front yard.
One of the volunteer tasks that children Abbey’s and Jackie’s age can do at the shelter is to take the dogs out of their pens and run them around the property. They can also take cats out and pet and love on them as well. It’s part of the process of making sure the pets at the shelter are adoptable.
“The first time we (volunteered) we were not allowed to clean out the cages,” Abbey said. “But we walk the dogs, play with the cats, their toys. One time we gave a dog a bath so it was really grungy and grimy and yuck – when dogs are neat and clean people are more willing to adopt them. We’ve been here about four times in a year-and-a-half.”
The girls haven’t been to the shelter since they adopted Corine — mom and dad say the two have full time duties at home taking care of their dogs, Goldie, which also belongs to Abbey; Dixie, who belongs to Jackie; Trixie, who belongs to Mom; and Blackie, who belongs to dad.
“So then we told her that we now have our own animal shelter at home,” Jenny Seek said. “The girls needed to help out with them at their home, however we will be coming back in to volunteer more.”
Tish Bentledge, director of the Carthage shelter, said donations like this one are key to the operation of the facility.
“We have a very small staff and volunteers are what helps pick up the slack – baths, walking dogs for mental health and it shows the community that we’re doing a good job,” Bentledge said. “This is their (the community’s) home. This all belongs to the community, so we want them to help. These are everybody’s dogs.”
