Students aid animal rescue league effort to find a home

By Kelcy Dolan
Posted 12/1/15

Abby Capalbo, a sixth grader at Cedar Hill Elementary School, wasn’t ashamed to admit that she got a little emotional when she heard that the East Greenwich Animal Protection League (EGAPL) was …

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Students aid animal rescue league effort to find a home

Posted

Abby Capalbo, a sixth grader at Cedar Hill Elementary School, wasn’t ashamed to admit that she got a little emotional when she heard that the East Greenwich Animal Protection League (EGAPL) was going to be evicted from their building.

“I love animals,” she said. “I just kept thinking about what would happen to them.”

Abby recruited her little sister, second grader Cecilia Capalbo, and friend and fellow sixth grader Carina Cardi, to start a collection on behalf of the protection league. Abby and Carina asked to borrow some art supplies from the school and began making flyers to pass around. It wasn’t long before Cecilia’s teacher, Allison O’Donnell, heard about the initiative and offered to help oversee the collection and assist in any way she could.

Back in March, the East Greenwich Animal Hospital, where EGAPL was housing their adoptable pets, went out of business, allowing EGAPL to rent the facilities on a month-to-month basis until the building on Post Road was sold. However, on October 1 the owners, in hopes the building would sell better without a shelter being run out of the facilities, gave EGAPL a month to find other housing.

Since March EGAPL has been looking for their own facilities but have yet to find any property suitable for their operations, according to Tammy Flanagan, executive director of EGAPL.

The rescue has since moved to the Cranston Animal Hospital on Park Avenue.

Currently, EGAPL is hosting adoption hours once a week as to not interrupt the hospital’s usual schedule, and running at low numbers and hasn’t rescued any dogs from the south due to limited space. EGAPL is hoping to stay in East Greenwich, or at least in the general vicinity, and would be willing to look at facilities in Warwick and North Kingstown. The building would need to be between 3,500 and 6,000 square feet with an outdoor space where the animals could run and play. On top of that there is always the issue of money, and the space would have to be affordable for the all-volunteer organization. The animal hospital was listed as $604,000, which was “outside of reach” for EGAPL.

“It’s not very easy,” Flanagan said. “The longer this goes on the less we can save, which is the most upsetting part. It’s just heartbreaking.”

She said though, the response from the community as a whole has been a very positive, people offering to volunteer or donate to see the rescue find a home of its own.

She said, “It’s amazing that no matter what, people are always willing to help. This isn’t the easiest time of year, so we are grateful for everything we get.”

In just a week and a half before Thanksgiving break the Cedar Hill students, who originally had a goal of $100, raised $500 for EGAPL, which was dropped off this past Saturday.

“I think this fundraiser was really well received because it came straight from the kids,” O’Donnell said. “They all care so much here and students wanted to help their friends reach their goal.”

Carina added that there were some who didn’t think they would reach $100, but they went well past that.

“But we did it,” Cecilia said.

Although O’Donnell provided oversight, she said the students did all the work collecting, passing out flyers and promoting the collection. Some classes, like O’Donnell’s were allowed to bring in their favorite stuffed animal if they brought in a donation and for others word of mouth students began to rally around the cause.

O’Donnell explained that with the old building’s proximity to the school community many of the students either knew about the organization or even has a pet they adopted from EGPAL.

Abby and Cecilia adopted their dog, Maggie, a border collie lab mix, four years ago from the rescue. The two sisters agreed that Maggie is part of the family and they love having her around.

“Whenever I need to talk she’s always there,” Abby said.

Cecilia likes to play and race Maggie and couldn’t imagine not having her.

Both O’Donnell and Carina also have rescue pets from shelters.

“It’s rewarding to take in a rescue,” Abby said. “Shelters take in abused animals or dogs about to be put down in the south and give them a life and home.”

The three students couldn’t believe they raised so much, but were proud to pass over that check to EGAPL.

Carina said, “We felt good about ourselves and our work giving that check. Animals can’t speak or fight for themselves, but there’s so many people that just don’t care.”

“They just leave them out on the streets; they don’t understand they need our help,” Cecilia said.

Flanagan said that every year the children who are “animal savvy” and aware of everything that’s going on in the world gets younger and younger.

“It’s amazes me how many unselfish and purely selfless some kids are today,” she said. “These students saw how much it takes to save an animal’s life and worked hard to raise that money. That’s our future and I’m so grateful for that.”

O’Donnell said she felt lucky to be a part of a schools where the students are so generous and would take the initiative to always help others.

“I think it’s really important for young kids to know there are people and animals out there in need,” O’Donnell said. “These kids helped more than they even know right now. No matter what age its important to give back and pay it forward.”

EGAPL has now moved and is using the Cranston Animal Hospital at 1119 Park Avenue, Cranston. Their next adoption hours will be this upcoming Saturday, December 5th, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

For more information or to donate call 943-6333 or visit www.egapl.org.

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  • richardcorrente

    Dear Abby,Cecilia, Carina and Allison,

    Wonderful work! This is a beautiful Christmas Story and I'll bet Santa saw it too. I'll bet someone else even higher was watching as well. I'm sure "He" approved your kind deeds. Keep it up. You're setting a great example for others to follow!

    Merry Christmas to you all!

    Richard Corrente

    Democrat for Mayor - 2016

    Wednesday, December 2, 2015 Report this