IRHS students donate doghouses to SPCA

Last week, Construction and Manufacturing students from Indian River High School donated four handcrafted doghouses to the Sussex County SPCA in Georgetown.

“I’m very proud of the kids,” said technology education teacher Allen Timmons. “They did a fantastic job, and I think they learned a lot from the experience.”

According to Shelter Manager Lisa Caputo, their facilities can house approximately 80 dogs and 150 cats at any given time. Caputo said that Timmons had contacted her regarding donating the doghouses.

“They contacted us and asked if they could, which is great. We obviously weren’t going to say no,” she said, adding that this is a unique gift to the shelter. “We get blankets and towels and food, and stuff like that – not usually something handcrafted.”

Caputo said that the shelter dogs will be able to use the houses daily, when their pens inside are being cleaned.

“When they clean, every dog gets to go outside and run in the yard, so everyone will get a chance to use them,” she said. “It’s nice, because sometimes it’s raining or raining just a little bit and they still could go outside, but you don’t want to leave them with nothing.”

Timmons’ class is also working on building cabinets and tables for the athletic department at the high school, cubbies for the Richard Allen School, and two 12-by-20-foot sheds — one for the school’s shop to store wood and the other for a school custodian.

Construction and Manufacturing student Jason Watts said he enjoys the class’s projects and is happy to be learning while giving back to the community.

“It feels good to give back to the community,” he said. “It’s a different kind of experience.”