Moses Lake Eagle Scout aids animal shelter

MOSES LAKE - Most teenagers can probably think of lots of things they would rather do than build sidewalks and fences.

Fortunately for the Grant County Animal Shelter, Eagle Scout Cody Morrow of Troop 110 enjoys a little bit of everything, including volunteering labor.

Back in mid-June, Morrow began planning an Eagle Scout service project where he and other volunteers would improve the animal shelter.

"I knew the animal shelter was in dire need," Morrow says. "Given the economy now, animals tend to get shoved to the bottom of the totem pole. I wanted my project to be the hard thing, not the easy thing."

Morrow organized and worked to install two sidewalks and two fences as well as a bench for the animal-run area.

"A good 15 people helped me," says Morrow. "But that was with just the actual carrying-out of the project."

The hardest part of the job was probably the fence, according to Morrow.

The shelter operates as part of Grant County Animal Outreach and holds up to 75 dogs and 45 cats.

Shelter Administrator Carmon Derting says Morrow's project improved safety for staff, visitors and shelter animals.

"What it did was give us a safe place for people to have dogs off leash if they wanted to." Derting says. "It made it safer for people who wanted to come visit animals. Instead of being able to walk into the building they have to come in the front of the building."

Derting added that the improvements have given more privacy to the dogs.

"He came and asked, as an Eagle Scout, what projects we needed to have done around here," says Derting. "I gave him a list of things that needed to be done but he went above and beyond and did sidewalks, too."

"The eagle scouts have done three projects for us this year and it's been awesome to have them do that," Derting added.

Improvements on the shelter ended around mid-October.

Morrow says he was 13 years old the first time he participated in a service project and wanted to do his own.

The 16 year-old Moses Lake High School junior participates in theater, choir as well as track and field.

Morrow has been involved with Boy Scouts since he was about 8 years old and has discovered a liking for things like hiking and acquiring knife skills.

"Believe it or not, I've just recently got into dance," Morrow says. "I've just started taking a ballroom dance class."

Morrow says the Eagle Scouts have taught him a lot and exposed him to activities he wasn't sure he'd like, such as hiking and knot-tying.

"The Eagle is meant to teach you how to lead, organize, work hard, and sacrifice. You can't do that if you pick something that doesn't involve a lot of people, hard work, organization, and sacrifice. The easy way isn't the Eagle way," Morrow says.

Morrow says he would like to thank all those who contributed cement, paint, nails, wood, food for volunteers, tools, time, knowledge and more to his project.

After just a single phone call, ProBuild donated all the fencing supplies as well as water for working volunteers. Columbia Basin Concrete, Big R, Ace Hardware, Moses Lake Steel, Home Depot, North Central Washington Fencing, Grocery Outlet, Walmart, Riteaid and local contractor Martin Lapp all contributed to the project.

Morrow says he is considering going to school to major in multimedia or possibly attend a vocational school to become a chef.