Audrey Carr, Executive Editor
@audreyccourant
Sophomore Maggie Marshall has collaborated with peers to start a new club, The Happy Home Club, which launched in May. The club holds monthly meetings in the main office in the conference room areas.
According to club founder Maggie, “It started as an idea to make homemade treats and donate them to an animal shelter.” Her inspiration for starting the club was her passion for animals, including her own unconditional love for her dog Calli, who is twelve years old. “A homeless dog would make me start sobbing in the middle of the street,” Maggie said.
The club partners with Strays and Others, the only animal shelter in New Canaan. “I found the shelter by researching the nearest animal shelters to find different options of shelters we could support,” Maggie said. “The club aims to support the shelter as much as we can in many different forms, to spread awareness about animals in need.”
Maggie and co-founder Ava Pepe found that Strays and Others had values that aligned with their own. “The shelter had such a great heart and incentive but did not have a lot of support and publicity. They only had Facebook, so I think that is the only way people knew about them,” Maggie said. “If teens knew about them like us, who are so vulnerable and loving to animals, the word could get out.”
As a result, Maggie plans to use social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok to emphasize spreading awareness. “I want to make more social media pages that will target and be useful to younger people.” she said.
The club is planning to start a drive this month. “We are going to start a towel drive because that is what the shelter most needs for keeping the dogs warm after baths,” Maggie said. “The cause is timeless, and there are always animals in need, just like people,” she said. The power of pets plays a significant factor in the motivation behind the club. “I think pets are emotional support to their owners. They only provide the most loving personalities they can, so that’s what makes them so likable.”
