Team of volunteers following agility course build.
On her way to earn the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Eagle Scout ranking, an upstate teen is hoping to help CCA soar with the creation of a K9 agility course.
Maddie Reed, a Simpsonville, SC native and dog lover, got into scouting when she heard there would be a new Boy Scout troop formed specifically for girls – they would work to meet the same rank advancement criteria as the boys. Now, two years later, Maddie is nearing the end of her journey towards earning the Eagle Scout rank – the top achievement in scouting.
“Getting the Eagle Scout rank is a pretty big deal. Only five percent of scouts achieve this rank,” she explains. Requirements for Eagle rank work on building leadership skills, and one of these requirements is an Eagle project through which the scout must plan, fundraise and carry out a project for a charitable organization.
Maddie’s pup, River.
In addition to scouting, Maddie spends her time with her pup River, a three-legged, boxer-retriever mutt with a big personality who loves food, tennis balls and a good cuddle. She also volunteers with CCA, and has been a part of our volunteer network for the past two years, walking dogs and helping to socialize our cats.
Blending Passions
Through her CCA experience, Maddie saw a clear opportunity to use her Eagle project as a way to blend her passion for scouting and love of dogs…in an effort to get more pups out of the shelter and with their own families.
Her goal? Build an agility course at CCA’s Upstate shelter as a way to help our dogs learn obedience and burn off some pent-up energy. “I wanted to give the dogs a way to productively get their energy out, and I know that if dogs are trained in agility, they tend to have a higher chance of being adopted,” Maddie explains.
With a plan in place, Maddie set out to raise money for the course, and did so through an electronic silent auction where she sold her own artwork and other items. The auction raised over $300.
One of Maddie’s paintings that was auctioned off to raise money for the course. It sold for $75.
The Build
On November 14, Maddie and a team of volunteers – representing both Scouts and CCA – worked to build the agility course, which included weave poles, an A-frame, a hurdle, and a platform. The poles and the hurdles are made of PVC pipe, and the A-frame and the platform are made with wood.
“My favorite element to design was the hurdle. I had to plan the PVC pipes out in a way to make sure the dog wouldn’t be hurt if they ended up being a little low on the jump. I did this by having the pole they jump over rest on top of a T-joint,” she says.
“I felt a large wave of relief seeing the course go up. I started planning this project earlier this summer, and to watch it all come into place was amazing. I hope the course will help more dogs get adopted.”
Now What?
Maddie has a few more merit badges – each one serving to teach life skills or give experiences related to potential careers – to complete before she earns her Eagle rank, but she’s well on her way. Beyond that, she hopes to put her love of art into a career in animation or video game design.