W-underdog Program Helps Disadvantaged Kids and Dogs

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http://www.w-underdogs.org/about-us/
Our mission is to lift up disadvantaged children by helping rescue animals. We teach the kids how to manage, care and train dogs and cats and vet them as needed. They learn personal discipline and responsibility as they rehabilitate the animals. They learn how to care for animals and in turn, how to care for themselves and compassion for others. They learn teamwork and how to work as a group. They learn how to manage the expectations of others. They acquire, in short, skills that they are not currently learning within their home environment. We aim, as a result, to help them see beyond their immediate environment, while we teach the skills to help them cope with its challenges more successfully. As the animals progress, we take them to adoption events. The kids have full hands on in training the animals rehabilitating them from their neglected, abused situation and turn them into the loving, manageable pets that loving homes require. Saving the animals in effect rescues the kids, and endows them with both selfsatisfaction and self-esteem. What they learn is valuable both as growth and life lessons as well as making them employable as Vet assistants at Vet hospitals when they turn 16. Our main goal is currently is to be able to provide a more comprehensive “tool bank” for the kids to learn the skills outlined above, and to carefully and selectively expand the program so more kids can participate.

W-Underdogs “Top Dog” Director, Janice Grace Hamlin, is a US Army Veteran, and she provides a the day to-day leadership for the program. Kids are ranked, much like the Boy or Girl Scouts, and need to attain levels of accomplishment to move up toward the ultimate goal of Top Dog. The Rank System measures youth growth in areas of respect, responsibility and, most importantly, provides a standard for recognition of their achievements. The program has a strict regimen for every level. We also aim to carry the W-Underdogs mission into the home environment by requiring parental involvement in the child’s growth through the program. Our goal every day will be to address the challenges that disadvantaged kids face and provide them with the skills and sense of accomplishment to help them overcome their issues. We believe that the W-Underdogs program will energize the families, kids and, in turn, contribute to a better community both short and long term.