Sororities partner with animal shelter to promote adoptions
Leader photo by Nancy Bergeron
Louisiana Tech Sigma Kappa sorority member Kadence Peal gives a treat to Robin Hood, the 5-year-old mixed breed pup the sorority’s sponsoring as part of the Sisters Saving Paw initiative. The program is a joint venture between Tech’s Panhellenic Council and Ruston city animal shelter.
Kadence Peal knew she was in love the first time she saw Robin Hood.
“He was just lying there. I saw he was shy,” Peal said.
But after a little sun time with Peal and her Sigma Kappa sorority sister, Ava Prestenback, Robin warmed up enough to let Peal place a new purple collar around his neck, signifying his new relationship with the Sigmas.
Robin Hood, a 5-year-old mixed breed, was among the dogs at the Ruston Animal Shelter selected by Louisiana Tech University sororities to support and promote as part of a new program called Sisters Saving Paws.
The Sisters Saving Paws initiative is a partnership between the shelter and the sororities to showcase and adopt more shelter animals.
Representatives of Tech’s five sororities met at the shelter Wednesday to “rush” two dogs each into their sorority to work with. If the initial dogs are adopted before the program ends next spring, the sororities get to choose another dog to sponsor.
“Our goal here is socialization and adoption,” city Communications Director Laurel Nerren said.
The more socialized an animal is, the better its chances of being adopted, she said.
During the six-month program, sororities spend must at least one hour a week at the shelter with their animal. The organizations earn points from different tasks done with the animal, such as bathing it, playing with it, featuring it in social media posts, teaching it tricks, and taking it to events, all while making sure people know the dog is ready to find its forever home.
The sororities can also raise money for an animal to be spayed or neutered.
The organizations can also sponsor cats, but the felines can’t be taken out of the shelter.
Panhellenic Council President Hailee Rivers, a Phi Mu, who also interns with Ruston’s Main Street program, developed the Sisters Saving Paws program.
“I knew going into this that our girls would be perfect for this,” Rivers said. “They have very kind hearts, and they love giving back to the community.”
