A couple of months ago, a young lady by the name of Rachel wrote to me, asking for our help with one of her school projects.  Rachel had heard about puppy mills and was eager to find out more about them.  She didn't like what she had heard and she wanted to learn more,  while at the same time, hopefully educating others about how horrible these places can be.   Rachel is only in the 8th grade and is a student in one of the middle schools in West Virginia, but from the way her display looks and reading the things she has written, you would think that she was at least a senior in high school or perhaps even a college student. 

Rachel, you don't know how proud we are of you.......to think that you took the information we gave to you and turned it into such an outstanding project.  It's no wonder you earned the excellent score of 105 for your project and that you were chosen to go to the next level which will be the county competition.  All of Critter Haven will be pulling for you to place high in the county competition.  I'm also looking forward to Rachel becoming a member of Critter Haven in a few years.  Take a look at Rachel's display and you will see what I mean.  You have educated many, many people with this display, Rachel. 

Rachel is the proud mommie of two Jack Russell Terriers - Jack and Tidy.  She says that they both definitely live up to their breed's reputation..........hyper, hyper, hyper. 

Watch for an update to this page after Rachel goes to the county competition.  Critter Haven wishes you the best of luck, Rachel.

Critter Haven is so proud of Rachel.  She won the County competition and is now headed for the State competition.  Here is what she said about it:

I WON FIRST PLACE IN MY DIVISION!  It's on to State now!!!!!
And guess what.....I had people coming up to me saying that they liked my project and that they learned a lot!  I am so very very excited!

Yeahhhhhhhhhhhhh!

Check back with us to find out how she did at the State competition.  This young lady will definitely be an asset to Animal Welfare in a few years - no doubt about it.

UPDATE............................

The State Competition is now over and although Rachel did not win first place, she DID get Honorable Mention.  This has been a very educational experience for Rachel and we want her to know that Critter Haven is very, very proud of her.  No doubt about it, this young lady is going 'far'.  With her knowledge and determination, she will definitely be a credit to our beloved animals as she prepares for a life of working with them.  She hopes that in the near future, she can further her knowledge by attending vet school, fullfilling her aspirations to enter into veterinary medicine.  We, in Critter Haven, hope to remain a major part of Rachel's future life and wish her the very best in achieving her goals.