BUTTE â Christmas came early for animals at the Chelsea Bailey Animal Shelter in Butte, thanks to the generous hearts of elementary school students who delivered toys, treats and cash to help furry friends in need.
Sage Tomsheck, a sixth-grader at Whittier Elementary School, led the charitable effort alongside five classmates, bringing 74 toys of various sizes donated by fellow students.
"I'm obsessed with dogs. I hate seeing them, like, on the streets and stuff. So, I like doing this," Tomsheck said.
The 12-year-old and his twin brother purchased a large blue dinosaur toy that initially seemed to go unnoticed â until Duke, one of the shelter dogs, entered the room and showed immediate interest.
"It's, like, nice to give dogs like toys to play with for, like, Christmas," said student Sophia Hettick.
đ Watch these amazing Butte students surprise shelter animals with Christmas gifts
The students didn't stop at toys. They also brought a giant box of dog treats, cat food, and $600 in donations to support the local shelter's operations.
Sixth-grade teacher Aleesha Labreche, who organized the visit, said the experience teaches students valuable lessons beyond traditional academics.
"School isn't just about textbooks. It's about kindness," Labreche said. "Everyone's hearts were happy, and it makes my heart happy."
Labreche believes connecting students with animals builds empathy and awareness about community needs.
"Some kids can really connect to animals. Some animals are kids' safe space, and so I think it's good to come here and show that there are animals in our community that need homes," she said.
Shelter volunteer Lynette Hogart praised the students' generosity and encouraged community members to consider adoption.
"What we saw, I think, is that they all really want to be in homes and loved," Hogart said. "You guys are just really something special. I gotta tell you that, and your parents should be very proud of you all."
Student Finn Durkin had a direct message for the community: "You should come adopt one!"
"They're cute," Tomsheck added. "Yeah, they're really cute," Durkin agreed.
The Chelsea Bailey Animal Shelter will be closed for the holidays for deep cleaning. The dogs featured in this story are available for adoption.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
