Athena Werner celebrated her eleventh birthday in April. To mark the occasion this young lady demonstrated a maturity and selflessness way beyond her years. She held a party and invited friends, including classmates from The Montessori Centre, giving them novel instructions on what to bring. “I decided for my birthday party that instead of gifts for me, I would help the dogs because I went down to Soufriere with my family and I saw a lot of sick dogs that were hurt and hungry and I wanted to do something to change that. I am already healthy and I have a lot of toys to play with so I figured I should help SLAPS [Saint Lucia Animal Protection Society] because I have always loved dogs,” explained Athena.
On Saturday 14th May Athena presented to Pam Devaux, the president of SLAPS, a donation of $1,155. When asked about the impressive sum she responded, “I was pretty surprised about the amount that I got.” Athena was accompanied to the presentation by her brother Riley, siser Charlotte and the family’s puppy, Roxy. Proud Dad Nate was the chauffeur.
Mrs. Devaux thanked Athena for the generous donation and presented her with a wooden ‘Thank You’ plaque featuring a playful puppy. The plaque was made by the secretary of SLAPS, Francine, and her husband Simon, as was a magnificent, new ‘dog-house’ which was named after Athena in recognition of her gift to the animal society.
Mrs. Devaux told the STAR: “We think it’s absolutely wonderful that Athena has been so unselfish. One hears a lot of negativity about youngsters but certainly this is one girl who is thinking of others instead of herself and it’s a great idea to promote.”
All of the the money donated to SLAPS is used for feeding animals and for veterinary expenses including neutering. In addition to money, SLAPS welcomes donations of dog and cat food, towels and blankets, plus items for use when “scooping poop”: bleach and disinfectant, paper towels and plastic/nylon bags.
SLAPS holds a popular quarterly market selling books, cakes, used and new clothing, household items and bric-a-brac. The next market will be on the morning of Saturday 28th May in front of the Aquatic Centre in Rodney Bay.
If you are interested in helping SLAPS, becoming a member or adopting a dog, cat, puppy or kitten, please contact the society on 457 5277, by email at stluciaanimals@gmail.com or through its Facebook page.
