The following announcement was provided by Watertown Girl Scout Junior Troop 70133:
By Olivia Nardone Cavanaugh
Members of Watertown Girl Scout Junior Troop 70133 in fifth grade are working to earn their Bronze Award, one of the highest awards in Girl Scouts, by making a difference in their community. The girls conducted observational research and decided they wanted to help wild and domestic animals in Watertown to stay safe and healthy through community education and awareness.
For the project, the girls met with Animal Control Officer Samantha Gatchell to gather wildlife safety tips and designed and printed flyers to educate community members about how to treat wild animals safely. The flyer contains tips about racoons, turkeys, groundhogs, rabbits, rats, ducks, and geese and can be found on the Watertown website under the Animal Control Section.
The girls also are launching a “Pets Pantry” at the Watertown Food Pantry and Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry, where people can donate dog and cat food and cat litter for pet owners who need it. In the spring, the troop members plan to participate in a Charles River clean-up day to remove any trash that wild animals might eat.
Junior Troop 70133 would like to thank the Town of Watertown’s Animal Control Officer and Digital Media Manager, and the Watertown Food Pantry and Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry for their help with this project.
To donate or receive pet food, the Watertown Food Pantry is located at the rear of the Belmont- Watertown United Methodist Church at 80 Mount Auburn St., and open on Tuesday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. The Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry is located at the lower level of Sacred Heart Rectory at 770 Mount Auburn St., and open on Thursdays from 10-11:45 a.m.