By Lisa White
On his path to become an Eagle Scout, Nick White, a Life Scout in Troop 678 of Seffner, gathered a team of 40 volunteers and made his vision to help animals come true. White and his team made 24 pet beds of varying sizes and materials and over 80 individual toys that were then presented to 4 Lucky Dogs Pet Rescue, Inc. (4LD).
White said, “I have always wanted to help animals and I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity for that.”
White first met with 4LD last year to learn more. The nonprofit 501(c)(3) corporation, established January 1, 2016, is based in the Tampa Bay area and specializes in herding and working dogs. The foster-based dog rescue relies on fosters, volunteers and generous supporters to be able to continue to help and protect the animals that come into its care.
White wanted to help make them feel comfortable and welcome. He chose three different bed designs to accommodate animals of various sizes as well as multiple toy designs. Each animal coming into foster care with 4LD can now be issued a new bed and toys that can then go with them to their new forever homes. White thought that would be a way to help lessen stress on the pets as they transition to a new home
4LD Director Robin Marsh and ‘Super Fosters’ Mary Beth and Tom Hughes met with White and Troop 678 out at the lake as the troop put together the beds—and brought a couple of the 4LD rescue dogs out to meet everyone—and talked to the group about rescue dogs and the challenges it faces.
Director Marsh noted that, “Nick is an amazing young man to do this for the unwanted animals that come into our rescue from the community. He will certainly go far in life from what we have seen him accomplish at such a young age. We are so lucky to have him reach out to us.”
White has over 500 hours of community service, which he completed within the past two years, and nearly 800 hours since he became a Scout in 2014. While White stays busy with JROTC and Aquilla (show choir) at his high school, he is very active with his troop.
“Scouting has made me the young man I am today. Scouting has set the frame for me and how I act. I think that goes for most people who are in Scouting. It has also helped build friendships that will last a lifetime,” he said.
Visit www.beascout.scouting.org, and visit www.4luckydogs.org for more information about 4LD Rescue.
