Teens in Bethel Partner to Keep Walkers and Dogs Safe

Youth from the Teens Acting Against Violence youth leadership program (TAAV) are passionate about making their community safer for the elders and youth. After the 2019 LeadOn Conference, TAAV decided to support elders and youth by making it safer to walk in town.

The TAAV team identified loose dogs as the biggest safety risk for people walking in town as these dogs sometimes attack pedestrians. They realized that not only would information and resources on spaying, neutering, and leashing dogs help keep people safe, but it would help the dogs themselves. Working closely with Bethel Friends of Canines (BFK9), they organized an adoption fair to facilitate some puppies finding new homes while helping current dog owners take better care of their pets through the distribution of equipment, resources, and information. This project built healthy community relationships through strong community collaborations while supporting family relationships by easing stress caused by dog ownership without the needed resources and supplies.

“TAAV and BFK9 have different supporters in town, but doing this together was a really positive thing for the community to notice during these times.”

– TAAV Youth

Great work, TAAV! Follow TAAV on Facebook to learn more about how they’re taking action and making the change in Bethel.