A paws-itive experience

F
riday, April 23, was a day that would change 16-year-old Alyssa Morris’s life in a big way! Little did she know when she filled out a simple application that she would be the one selected from a pool of applicants to receive a toy Australian Sheppard puppy as part of the new Weston County 4-H Pup Start Project. 
Late last month, Knight’s Tail Aussies of Torrington, Wyo., approached Weston County 4-H with the idea of gifting a puppy from their breeding program to a deserving youth. 
Patricia Norton, owner of Knight’s Tail, expressed her desire to put a well-bred puppy into the hands of a young person wishing to work with dogs who may not otherwise have the opportunity. Through her own life experiences, Patricia knew how special having a dog in one’s life could be. 
I worked closely with Patricia to develop an application process to allow any Weston County 4-H member (ages 8-18) to apply for a chance to be selected as the recipient of the puppy. The process required members to complete an online application, submit one letter of recommendation expressing their qualifications in animal care and responsibility, and write an essay addressing why they wanted to do the dog project, what their goals would be if they received the puppy, why they thought they would be the best fit for the puppy, and what their favorite thing about dogs was. 
Patricia then selected a recipient based on the applications and who was the best fit in home and personality for the puppy. Both Patricia and her husband, Robert, stated selecting a recipient was very difficult, but Alyssa was their top pick. 
In addition to the application, the successful applicant would then be expected to take quality care of the puppy the remainder of its life and show it in the year following placement at the Weston County Fair Dog Show. 
Alyssa will hopefully be able to show her new puppy next year in the 2022 Weston County Fair Dog Show as he is just a little too young for this year’s fair. 
Weston County 4-H wishes to express its sincerest appreciation to Robert and Patricia Norton and Knight’s Tail Aussies for making this opportunity possible for its youth and helping to expand the 4-H dog project.