Nolan Middle students help Humane Society dogs get adopted

Every time Emilia Kulikowski, an eighth grader at R. Dan Nolan Middle School, walks into the Humane Society of Manatee County, she’s saddened to see the number of dogs waiting to be adopted. 

But by the time she leaves, she has a sense of hope.

Kulikowski, the president of the school’s Future Business Leaders of America club, joins other members of the club in going to the Humane Society once per month to create videos and take photos of a select dog to promote its adption.

The Future Business Leaders of America representing Nolan Middle work on their Cause 4 Paws project with Samantha Harris, the events and volunteer coordinator for the Humane Society of Manatee County. Harris chooses the dog, which usually is one that has been at the nonprofit for a while. 

While they play with a dog, the students take the photos and video to show its personality. 

The right photos matter. 

Kulikowski said they take the dog to an area that has a colorful background so the dog photos will pop. They add video of Harris talking about the dog’s health status and personality traits.

Like Kulikowski, her fellow students also have trouble leaving the Humane Society.

Back to Nolan Middle, the students edit the photos and video and then broadcast the finished product on the school news and post it to the school’s social media.

Then the waiting game begins. 

One dog, Emma, already has been adopted through their work.

Addison Gentz, an eighth grader and FBLA vice president, described Emma as energetic and a “big bundle of joy.” She said Emma wanted to play with everyone. 

The students were thrilled a Nolan Middle School family adopted Emma.

“It’s a good feeling knowing you helped a dog find a good home and not be worried if it’s going to be fed the next day,” Gentz said. 

Kulikowski said she has seen the worry on dogs’ faces, but as soon as they see people, their faces light up. 

When working with Hickory, another dog at the Humane Society, Kulikowski found out "he’s a cuddler.” 

“He wants to be your best friend,” she said. “He is attached to you at the hip. He loves to play, but he can also be really calm.”

Kulikowski said seeing adoptions gives them motivation to make more video.

“The (video) process is so easy and now this dog has a home and a new life, and it took only an hour-and-a-half of our lives,” she said. “It’s amazing to see that now these dogs have the rest of their lives just because we helped a little bit.”

In February, FBLA also hosted a pet drive that collected several bags of dog and cat food, toys and more. The supplies will be donated to the Humane Society of Manatee County. 

The Cause 4 Project doesn’t stop there. 

Kulikowski said the students are planning to host a kitten shower at the school in April. It will give people an opportunity to meet and interact with kittens from the humane society while also donating food and monetarily to the nonprofit. People also will be able to adopt the kittens.