In August, she checked out the book “Chicken Soup for a Kid’s Soul” from her library and was inspired by the story of a girl who asked for dog toys and dog food for her birthday to give it to a local animal shelter.
RELATED: Student welding event raises money for Humane Society
“I knew people felt sad when their dogs got hit, and I wanted to help them,” Lauren said. “I thought that (story) was a good idea and I wanted to take it one step further.”
Lauren started making bracelets and Christmas ornaments with her friends during recess at Northwestern Elementary School in August. She then sold the bracelets and ornaments with an original goal of raising $150 for the Humane Society Serving Clark County.
“I said she should make a brochure and she said, ‘Mommy, I’m two steps ahead of you,’ and handed me a brochure,” said Ashley Pollock, Lauren’s mother.
At the beginning of December, Lauren invited two friends over to her grandmother’s house for the first official meeting of the Pet Buddies club. They made bracelets and ornaments all night and then started selling them.
The club grew to 16 members, with all of them making bracelets and ornaments at recess to sell.
Lauren presented the money and a letter addressed to the animals at the humane society on Dec. 28, and now she’s already thinking about her next project: paw protectors, which are to dogs what hand lotion is to humans.
“You use coconut oil, beeswax, and almond oil and other oils, and you put it on their paws in the winter so they don’t crack. We will be selling that in January,” Ashley Pollock said. “I think the goal is to raise money for a different animal shelter every time. As the seasons change, our projects will adapt with the weather and will reflect what people and pets can use.”
Ashley Pollock said Lauren runs the entire operation — she keeps track of how much she sells and how much is donated, and she’s the one who brainstorms new projects and ideas.
“She’s always been very bright — she reads one to two chapter books a week, and that’s what successful people do as adults,” Ashley Pollock said. “I really want to encourage and support her — she’s doing a lot of amazing things for a 9-year-old, let alone an adult.”
About the Author