By Tara Mae

“I really like the feeling of helping people and making their lives better, like when we did the food drive for Paws of War.”

This assessment by Cecilia Schultz, part of Junior Girl Scout Troop 1343, encompasses the members’ ongoing experience of sustaining social works. Comprised of nine  and ten year olds from Stony Brook and Setauket in the Three Village School District, Troop 1343 recently partnered with Nesconset-based animal rescue Paws of War that works with soldiers, veterans, and first responders.  

Troop 1343, consisting of many reported animal lovers who have family dogs or other pets, reached out to Paws of War in an effort to merit its Bronze Award. The highest honor Girl Scout Juniors (grades 4 and 5) can achieve, it is earned by a troop that has finished a project to make a difference in the community and completed 20 hours of service. 

To this end, the girls initiated a seven month long multifaceted community service enterprise on behalf of Paws of War.  

“We focused primarily last year on community service, with everything circling that theme…The girls wanted to go for a Bronze Award; it is considered the first stepping stone to building up to bigger awards,” Lisa Unander,  co-leader of Troop 1343 with Kaethe Cuomo and Christine Colavito, said.

Under the guidance of artist Denise Backman, a family friend of Unander’s who acted as artistic advisor to Troop 1343 and has collaborated with it in the past, the girls chose to paint a mural at Paws of War headquarters; an act of service for those who have served the country.

“I like helping people, so I just think it would make people happy to have the mural,” Junior Girl Scout Emily St. Germaine said. 

The mural proved a many-tiered educational endeavor for Troop 1343. As freelance artists of a kind, members learned about the art and business sides of such labor. They not only had to work together but had to get feedback about what the client —Paws of War — needed.   

“Backman mentored the girls in the creative aspects and business aspects of the project: how you take criticism; how if you take on this role, there is creativity but a lot of direction too; how you pitch ideas to a client — even though its the girls’ idea, Paws of War gets final say, since it is its space,” Unander said. 

Creating the mural also furthered the development of inter-troop communication. Part of the members’ learning process was simply exploring how to communicate through collaboration.

“I was learning how to cope with different people, and learn everyone else’s ideas. It is different to cope with people — not difficult, but something you have to stay patient about because other people have different ideas,” Junior Girl Scout Emma Taranto said. 

Through these growing pains, troop members reached a consensus about their subject. With audience in mind, the Junior Girl Scouts agreed to create a mural of the American flag to adorn the wall in front of which the animals and their found families pose for photos during meet and greets. The mural, 7’ x 5’, required exact measurements and a number of drafts, according to Unander. 

“Doing this, I learned that the flag was actually really complicated to make correctly. Veterans are going to see it, so it was nice for it to be the best we could get it,” Junior Girl Scout Hannah Unander said.

A nonprofit entity, Paws of War works closely with veterans, soldiers, and first responders. The organization saves shelter dogs and trains them to be companions for military veterans. It also reunites troops with the animals they befriended overseas but were unable to take home. 

These informally adopted pets are not considered military service animals, and it is against Department of Defense policy for troops to have companion pets, officially adopt them, or transport them on military planes. 

“I learned that soldiers find dogs and cats in other countries and make friends with them, and want to bring them back over. That’s the purpose of Paws of War: dogs are happy and people are happy,” Schultz said. 

Paws of War raises money for rescue and reunification. The nonprofit facilitates the transportation and adoption of these animals as well as the cost of training service dogs. 

In support of its mission and as part of Troop 1343’s community outreach project beyond the mural, the Junior Girl Scouts wrote letters to veterans; donated blankets and dog toys; volunteered at an informational table during a local Community Day; and, hosted a pet supply drive.

And while this venture may be completed, the Junior Girl Scouts remain committed to Paws of War. With their families, many of the girls are baking homemade dog treats to donate to the organization. 

“It has been so rewarding seeing the girls so excited to learn about an organization that none of them knew,” Lisa Unander said. 

“All of these factors contributed to their excitement: really seeing the impact of how the project changed the space, meeting members of the organization, fundraising and donating, etc. The girls wound up being more enthusiastic, and now want to help more,” she added.

To learn more about Paws of War, including how you may contribute to its services, visit pawsofwar.org.