Young girl raises funds for animal shelter

Submitted photo OUTREACH: Hot Springs Animal Services was presented a check for $635 on Wednesday by 10-year-old Kaylie McGough, who raised the money by selling homemade rubber band bracelets for $1 each. Present to accept the donation were, from left, Hot Springs Assistant Police Chief Chris Chapmond, McGough, Officer 1st Class Joey Williams, Police Chief Jason Stachey and Hot Springs Animal Services Director Dan Bugg.
Submitted photo OUTREACH: Hot Springs Animal Services was presented a check for $635 on Wednesday by 10-year-old Kaylie McGough, who raised the money by selling homemade rubber band bracelets for $1 each. Present to accept the donation were, from left, Hot Springs Assistant Police Chief Chris Chapmond, McGough, Officer 1st Class Joey Williams, Police Chief Jason Stachey and Hot Springs Animal Services Director Dan Bugg.

Hot Springs Animal Services received a donation of $635 on Wednesday from 10-year-old Kaylie McGough, who raised the money selling homemade bracelets.

McGough, a student at Caddo Hills School District, wanted to raise money for the animal shelter to help local animals, and started a project making rubber band bracelets to sell for $1 per bracelet.

"She made all different kinds -- she did some pretty neat stuff," said Dan Bugg, Hot Springs Animal Services director. "She made them and sold them for $1 a piece. She'd been doing it for quite a while and she came in today and brought me a cashier's check for $635."

Bugg said he knew about the project and had been in touch with McGough and her grandmother, with whom McGough stays for a few days per week during the summer, but he didn't know where the project would end up money-wise.

The money will go into the shelter's donations account.

"We do different things with it. We buy stuff that we give away at special events, we do educational things with it, buy educational materials, that kind of stuff," he said. "We'll buy some animal supplies if we need to. She wants to make a difference and we're going to use it to do as much outreach as we can. I bought her a big bouquet of balloons for doing that and gave her some toys that we have down here for kids and thanked her so much."

In conjunction with the Hot Springs Police Department, the shelter will continue to reach out to the community through its Summerthon event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 22 at 319 Davidson Drive. The event is free and open to the public.

"We're just trying to let people reconnect with their animal shelter. You'd be surprised how many people that haven't lived here long didn't know they had an animal shelter. Or people that have been here a long time still think the animal shelter's over at Kimery. It's been over here since 1994," Bugg said.

Parents are encouraged to dress their kids in swimming attire or clothing that can get wet, as there will be water activities and maybe even a waterslide, Bugg said. Hot dogs, snacks and drinks will be served and prizes given.

In addition to community outreach, Bugg said they hope to adopt out as many animals as possible through Summerthon.

"We're just trying to get people to reconnect and let them know we're here and try to get some more critters adopted," he said.

The adoption fee is $55 for dogs and $35 for cats and includes a spay or neuter and microchip.

Local on 07/06/2017

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