Angie Eichinger, right, president of the Humane Society of Richland County, and Missy Houghton, left, HSRC supervisor, accept a donation from Malabar Intermediate School students and teacher Janine Boocks.
For the third consecutive year students at Malabar Intermediate School have shown their support for animals.
On Wednesday students presented a check for $655 to the Humane Society of Richland County. Angie Eichinger, HSRC president, and Missy Houghton, HSRC supervisor, accepted the donation during Malabar’s early-morning assembly in the gym.
Each of the three years teacher Janine Boocks and her students led campaigns against puppy mills, commercial dog-breeding operations that place profit above the welfare of dogs.
In 2014 Malabar students raised $715 to donate to groups that rehabilitate victims of puppy mills and help them find homes. Last year they raised $707 for that purpose.
“This year, when the kids learned about the financial difficulties at the Humane Society of Richland County they decided that’s where they wanted most of their donations to go,” Boocks said.
The bulk of donations from staff and students, $655, went to the Humane Society. A smaller amount again was designated to help dogs victimized by puppy mills.
Each year Boocks’ students led in-school campaigns against puppy mills. They educated others about how dogs there are victimized for commercial sale and urged adoption from shelters instead.