Editor’s note: The Herald agreed to only print the first names and not photograph the faces of the girls from Gerard Academy for privacy reasons. The school helps children who are “struggling with emotional and behavioral issues,” as stated on its website.

A group of girls is making a big difference to the cats at the Mower County Humane Society, but the animals aren’t leaving their caretakers empty-handed.

Girls from Gerard Academy in Austin have been cleaning cat cages every Friday since November. Lynn Smithwick, a clinical supervisor at Gerard, said though the students are providing a service to the cats, the animals are giving more back.

“It’s kind of that unconditional love,” Smithwick said. “There’s at least one girl that probably has some very distinctive developmental issues, but the cats don’t care.”

For Gerard student Kaytlyne, being around animals has been a good experience.

“I’ve been in facilities a long time, so I haven’t been able to see animals very much,” she said. “And I love them and it’s just really fun helping them and getting to play with them.”

One of the best parts for her is both giving and getting affection as she gets to know each cat. She plans to have many animals in the future.

“It’s just this really unconditional acceptance,” she said. “Like, I’m in the place I’m at because I have issues I need to work on, but the [cats] don’t judge for that, they just want you to love them and love you back, and it’s really comforting to have around.”

Bethany, a Gerard student, comes to the shelter to help out, but she also finds comfort in playing with the animals.

“I like dealing with animals, and I like playing with the animals and taking care of them,” she said.

Bethany also hopes to have animals in the future, and she has learned a lot dealing with the many different cats at the shelter.

“I’ve learned that there are many different cats [that] have disorders like we do,” she said.

A sense of responsibility

About 15 girls ages 12 to 18 have been involved in the program so far, and groups of about five to seven participate each time. Smithwick said the students only get to come if they haven’t had any large behavioral issues that week, and their parents need to OK it.

Counselor Britny Bergland said the girls she works with ask often if they are approved to go each week, and Smithwick said many girls have been on their best behavior to ensure they get to work at the shelter.

Senior Counsler Tiffany Ellinghuysen said the girls in her dorm have worked hard to be able to participate in the program.

“The girls who have been here before really work hard to be able to do it again,” she said.

Ellinghuysen hopes the volunteering gives the girls a sense of responsibility along with enjoyment.

“I think the whole purpose of it was to give the residents a really good incentive to have, and to give them a sense of responsibility,” she said. “And it’s very therapeutic too. It puts them in a good mood, it cheers them up, it gives them something to work towards.”

Giving back

For Gerard student Shyanne, going to the shelter is a way to give back.

“It’s just like a way for me to help out in the community,” she said. “Because it’s like, in my past I’ve taken a lot from the community, but I’ve never been able to necessarily repay them for whatever it is. So it’s just giving me that sense of knowing that I’ve given something back from what I’ve taken.”

Shyanne also enjoys the affection and the comfort the cats give. She said even if the cats jump up or scratch her, she knows that it’s just out of playfulness or a want for affection.

Smithwick has been impressed by the students’ ability to adapt to their surroundings and not get frustrated or stressed by the cats. Although some students do get stressed, Smithwick said they still try to work around that to give each student a chance to see the animals.

Shyanne is also glad to see many of the same cats each week and hopes to volunteer with animals in the future.

“It sounds weird, but the cats have taught me that regardless of what your past is or what you’ve gone through, you can always get through it,” Shyanne said. “Because there have been cats here that have been here for years and it’s like, yeah they’ve gotten grumpy from not always having that attention, but they’re getting through it. And then I realize that I can get through my stuff that I have too.”

She hopes Lawrence, a grey and white male cat, finds a home soon.

“He is really loving,” she said. “I don’t know how long he’s been here but he deserves a home because, you can tell that when he’s not around people he’s not getting the attention that he wants.”

Kaytlyne loves all the cats at the shelter, but she recommended a black and white male named Clooney.

“He has a tumor behind his eye, we don’t know if it’s cancerous yet,” she said. “But he’s a really sweet boy and he needs a home.”

‘Wonderful’ students

When Smithwick first contacted Mower County Humane Society Head Volunteer Kelly Rush, Rush was a bit hesitant because if there is too many volunteers at once, things can get hectic. But after about five months, Rush said the project is going well.

“They’ve been great, they really have,” she said. “I can honestly say we have not had a negative experience at all with the volunteers that come from Gerard. All of the students have been wonderful.”

She helped train the students in when they first started coming, but since then she hasn’t had to worry about their cleaning skills or behavior.

“They do remarkably well with hardly any arguments,” she said. “It’s hard to find people that will volunteer their time. So the fact that they’re coming an volunteering and they do such a great job there, it’s wonderful. It’s a great experience.”

The only thing Rush said she had to warn the girls about was, because the cats are let free in the shelter during cleaning, the girls would be interrupted many times by cats that want attention.

Though students’ first priority is cleaning the cages, Smithwick said they get some time to play with the cats if they work quickly and efficiently.

“It’s so important for those kids to go out into the community and just feel like a kid,” she said.

Bergland said the volunteer work will also look good in the students’ futures.

“Some of the older girls, they can even put something like this on their resume that they volunteered with the cats,” she said. “They can always go through life, even the younger girls, can think, ‘I volunteered and helped with the cats at Mower County Humane Society,’ … and I think just that accomplishment would be really nice for them to be able to say for the rest of their lives.”

More to come?

Gerard counselors hope to one day expand the program by adding more volunteer days and different times to work with different levels of the students’ tolerance.

Smithwick hopes one day they can also bring some of the cats to the academy to visit.

“I would love to just scoop up a bunch of kittens for a nice Saturday afternoon,” she said.

“You can’t have a bad day with a cat,” she added.

To volunteer with the Mower County Humane Society, call the shelter and leave a message at 437-9262.