A group of elementary school students are helping to promote shelter animals in search of forever homes.
Second-graders at St. Michael’s Episcopal School in Richmond, Virginia, have created artwork accompanied by letters written to potential cat and dog “parents” from the perspectives of the animals themselves.
“Hello! I’m Pitato Chip. I’m a Pitbull!” one story read. “I won’t hurt you, I’ll give you lots of kisses! Slurp! I like the animal shelter, but I want to live with you!”
Christie Peters, director of Richmond Animal Care & Control (RACC), told Fox News Digital that she worked with her son’s teacher, Kensey Jones, on the project.
Jones was the “brainchild” behind the adorable letters, Peters said.
“The class was working on persuasive writing, and they wrote pieces as if they were speaking on behalf of the shelter dog trying to get adopted,” Peters said. “I said, ‘That’s the coolest idea … let’s do it.”
A representative of St. Michael’s said students were assigned a dog or cat from RACC.
They were then “briefed” on the background and temperament of the furry friends.
The written stories and illustrations were later hung on the outside of kennels to motivate potential adopters to bring an animal home.
“This classroom project collaboration allowed me to combine my two greatest passions, children’s literacy and helping animals in need,” Jones, who is also RACC volunteer, said in a news release.
“I am so proud to see my students rise to the occasion and write amazing persuasive paragraphs through the eyes of one of their RACC dogs.”
“All dogs deserve a loving home, especially Snow [the puppy ambassador]. I am so very happy to be able to help neglected animals find great forever families,” said St. Michael’s second-grader Danielle Petroski.
Peters said about 24 stories were written about dogs, plus one cat.
Peters and Jones had the students focus on RACC’s oldest residents, the longest residents and animals who needed “some extra help” in finding homes.
Jones said eight animals were quickly adopted after their stories were written — and read.
“It’s such a creative way that we partnered with this school to bring awareness and I hope it’s something other shelters in the country will do to market their shelter animals,” Jones said.