Handicapped dog wins hearts of Velma-Alma fourth-graders
By Penny Cockerell, State Correspondent
VELMA — Fourth-graders at Velma-Alma Elementary raised hundreds of dollars to help a dog they probably never will meet.
Johanna, a dachshund, was beaten repeatedly until semi-paralyzed and incontinent in Tennessee. The dog, chained to a tree, wouldn’t quit barking, so a group of teens brutalized her with a baseball bat. Rescuers at the Humane Society of Warren County, Tenn., took the dog, circulated e-mails, and found a new owner in Fryeburg, Maine.
Flying a dog to Maine isn’t cheap. Nor is buying a cart that acts as a wheelchair for Johanna to move around. Without it, the 5-year-old is left dragging her hind legs.
Johanna’s story caught the interest of “Animal Radio” in Utah. That’s where the class of Oklahoma fourth-graders heard the story.
The Velma class already had been learning about handicapped pets through their teacher, Kathy Barton. She had adopted Hope and Faith, two Australian shepherds that were born “lethal white.” Such dogs usually are killed because they’re born blind and deaf because of a genetic defect.
Adopting such animals takes immense patience and compassion. Both are qualities that, in Barton’s view, children should learn.
“My objective was for each one of the students to have love, respect and to protect and care for living things, regardless of the outside appearances or capabilities,” Barton said.
Compassion came easily for the students, Barton said. Even the so-called “tough kids” expressed feelings for these animals, which were disadvantaged and left at the mercy of humans.
As a class project, students visited local businesses, asking for donations to help handicapped pets. In four days, they raised $423.
At this point, they hadn’t learned about Johanna, who originally was named Boo. It seemed a coincidence that the needy dog appeared soon after the Velma student raised the money. When Barton suggested that her class donate what it raised to help Johanna, the students unanimously agreed to give the full amount.
That covered Johanna’s airfare and cart, which was scheduled to be delivered Monday.
Johanna’s new owner, Lauren Smith, learned of the donation on live radio.
“She was ecstatic,” Barton said. “She sent an e-mail and just thanked them and thanked them.”
Deborah Winters of Handicappedpets.com said Johanna is regaining her health and appears happy.
“The owner said she has just not left her side,” Winters said. “She’s so attached and she’s happy. She runs all over the house on her front legs, so when she gets the cart, she’ll just be amazing. It was so ironic that a class of children rescued her after what happened.”
Barton said her class has taken animal rescue even further by coming up with inventions to help handicapped animals. Special glasses, colored lights to guide them to food, sound devices — all are ideas from young minds to help creatures that can’t help themselves.
“The main thing was for them to know they could make a difference,” Barton said. “I’m hoping it touched them and they’ll go ahead and build from there. And maybe it will help them with handicapped people, too.”
Johanna’s hind legs don’t work, but a Velma-Alma Elementary school class raised money to buy her a cart.
