The Community Pet Center gives a special thanks to these young supporters for helping the cause!

Students pitch in to help pets
 By PAM BUNCH
 Daily Courier Staff Writer
 RUTHERFORDTON — Students in Alice Camp­bell’s K/1 class at Mt.Ver­non- Ruth Elementary School received a visit from a number of distin­guished guests on Thurs­day. The visitors were there to honor the stu­dents for helping Ruther­ford County’s homeless pets by making a donation to the Community Pet Center Fund.
  The CPC Fund will help Rutherford County to build a new animal shelter where animals will be comfortably cared for while they wait to find new homes. Student Teacher Jessica Poremsky created a unique dog, which the students named “Pearl.” Pearl only ate change from the children and after several weeks, $400 in change accumu­lated in Pearl’s ‘stomach’.
  The $400 was matched by Ronnie Whitesides at Ace Hardware in Rutherford­ton, and on Thursday, the money was presented to CPC.
  “ When I went the barbe­cue that the Community Pet Center sponsored this summer to kick off their fundraising, on the way home, I got to thinking that that’s something that the children could relate to because most of them have pets; and if they don’t have pets, they’d sure like to,” said Campbell.
  She handed the project over to Poremsky to orga­nize.
  “I thought the kids would just love it if they had something to look at, so I found a picture of a dog and I made Pearl for them,” Poremsky said.
  Campbell, Poremsky and assistant teacher Stacy Hawkins have worked the love and appreciation of animals into their curricu­lums throughout the year, and have made an effort to teach students that ani­mals need good homes.
  Campbell also got the members of Mt. Creek Baptist Church to help by having the children write letters to them and asking them to donate change.
  Among the many visitors to the class on Thursday were Sheriff Jack Conner, Keven McKammon of the CPC project, veterinarian Dr. Hinkle and Animal Control Officer Sgt.
  Greene. Also there to help celebrate were Rutherford County School Super­intendent Dr. John Kin­law, and Assistant Super­intendents Janet Mason and Linwood Crawford.
  Guests were entertained with songs about pets and a video about the students’ pets, and were treated to snacks and a Puppy Cake.
  The special treats were all made by Mrs. Campbell’s mother, a retired teacher.
  For more information about the Community Pet Center Fund, go to www.rutherfordpets.org.