Most kids love dogs, but 11-year-old Evan Bisnauth takes it to a whole new level. He knows that there are many dogs at animal shelters begging for families to love them. So, he decided to help them out in as many ways as possible.
Evan’s passion for dogs grew after he began volunteering to read to shelter dogs. He found that reading helps relax the dogs and make them seem more adoptable. But even then, many dogs still struggled to find forever homes. So, Evan started creating unique adoption videos for them. He wants everyone to know that no matter how small you feel, you can still make a difference in the world!
A Boy’s Books Save Dogs
In the summer of 2019, Evan’s mom heard about “Books with Boroughbreds,” a program at the Animal Care Centers of NYC that encourages kids to read to shelter dogs. It helps enhance children’s reading skills while socializing dogs. So, Evan and his mom hopped on a bus and headed to the New York shelter. Right away, Evan knew it was where he was meant to be.
“I spent five hours reading to every dog on the first day,” said Evan. “After that, I wanted to go every weekend.”
Evan saw that reading to the dogs made them more sociable, making them more likely to get adopted. His favorite book to read to the dogs is a picture book called Belly Rubbins for Bubbins, which tells the story of a shelter dog who gets adopted. Evan thinks that it gives the adoptable dogs a sense of hope.
“I like reading that to the dogs because when I’m done reading the book I’m like, ‘You will get adopted. Now I have hope for you,’” said Evan.
But unfortunately, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, Evan couldn’t go read to the dogs for a while. So, he had to come up with more creative ways to help them find homes.
Getting Creative with Animal Adoption
During the pandemic, Evan started his own Facebook page called EB and the Pets. He uses it to advertise adoptable dogs, especially those who are the most at-risk. Even though he couldn’t read them stories, he knew he could still share their stories.
For some of the dogs, Evan animated adoption videos for them. He drew a cartoon volunteer interviewing the adoptable dogs. It’s so adorable and creative! Plus, almost all his videos helped the dogs find forever homes or another rescue to take them in within a few days.
“I just want people to know that shelter dogs are not bad dogs. They are just looking for good people,” Evan said. “And to all the kids out there, you are never too small to make big changes.”
Animal advocates were so impressed with Evan’s dedication that they awarded him the 2021 ASPCA’s Kid of the Year Award. Evan said the award makes him feel really good, but it also makes him want to work even harder. No matter what challenges life throws at him, he will continue to find ways to help dogs in need. He hopes his passion will help inspire other people to do the same.
H/T: washingtonpost.com
Featured Image: Instagram