Teens4Animals Council: Empowering the Next Generation of Animal Welfare Champions

The Teens4Animals Council is an annual opportunity hosted by Hawaiian Humane Society's education program where 16 high school students are selected after a rigorous application process to spend a year learning different aspects of animal welfare.

“This program is especially important to me because it allows further animal welfare education to students regardless of a student's academic or financial standing,” says Anne Mukai, Hawaiian Humane’s Humane Educator. “This program is open to anyone who has a strong interest and love for animals. Not only do the students learn throughout the year, but they also spread their knowledge to their peers.”

The students who are appointed to serve on the Teens4Animals Council accomplish this by volunteering at events throughout the year including Hawaiian Humane’s educational events, outreach clinics and even PetWalk. This past year, the Teens4Animals Council were the top fundraising team, having raised more than $14,000. Whether answering questions at Hawaiian Humane’s education booth, creating customized pet ID tags, assisting with clinics and more, our Teens4Animals are always willing to help out.

Being engaged with our community is one of the vital roles of the Teens4Animals Council. One of the Council's favorite events is Readers of the Pack. Formerly called Deck the Howls and held once a year during the winter, this event is now held three times a year and allows keiki from all around the island to signup, read books to the animals and complete fun service projects. This not only helps the keiki enhance their reading skills but also helps to soothe the animals. When asked about their experiences with volunteering and participating in different events with Hawaiian Humane, our council members had much to say!

"As a Teens4Animals council member, I’m given many opportunities. One of those is the opportunity to attend events the Hawaiian Humane Society has been invited to or is hosting. My first year on the council I attended "Deck the Howls" which is an event hosted by the HHS (Hawaiian Humane) where children are given the opportunity to read to our wonderful animals. This by far was my favorite event. Although I love being able to educate people on animal welfare, how could I pass up little kids reading to animals? I loved being on the council last year so coming back as a senior council member was really exciting! I’m even more hands-on now and I get to mentor the new council members. The T4A Council has truly given me so many experiences I would’ve never had. I love this program so much that after high school I plan on studying to become a veterinarian and hopefully, I'll be able to continue to be part of the Hawaiian Humane Society team."

Cameron, 2022 Teens4Animals Council

"As a member of the Teens4Animals Council and a current student of James Campbell High School, I have assisted with pet clinics held there. Since the Hawaiian Humane Society’s current campus is a far drive from ‘Ewa Beach, I enjoy seeing members of my community have easy transportation access to pet resources such as microchips and vaccinations, thanks to the pet clinics at Campbell. Being a part of Teens4Animals and participating in these events allows me to see pet owners taking advantage of opportunities to care for their animals responsibly, and it also allows me to work with my awesome council members and Hawaiian Humane staff.

Jamie, 2022 Teens4Animals Council

"Being a part of the Teens4Animals Council for two years has allowed me to serve the community and help others that need assistance in supporting their pets. This program also hits home for me especially since I’ve found my best friend, Brutus, through this program. While volunteering at one the educational events "Deck the Howls" (now known as "Readers of the Pack"), I saw Brutus in one of the cat houses while overseeing the keiki reading. Brutus, an FIV+ cat, instantly caught my eye and I knew I had to take him home. The very next day, my mom and I returned to the Hawaiian Humane Society to adopt Brutus. Being given the opportunity to volunteer at events led me to find my best friend, which I think is one of the best parts of my experience on the council."

"Being given the opportunity to be in the Teens4Animals program for two years has allowed me to expand my horizons in animal welfare. Not only have I been able to learn about the different troubles animals face but I also have been able to be an active member in educating the public on all that the Hawaiian Humane Society stands for. Volunteering at our events has always been a treat for me since I have been able to see so many community members coming out and supporting their animals and getting the help they need. Teens4Animals has exposed me to so many opportunities that have influenced my future goals to help the environment and animals in any way I can. I’ve created so many memories through my two years here that have impacted my life in so many ways. I know future council members will enjoy the program as much as I do!"

Jacquie, 2022 Teens4Animals Council

Kylie, 2022 Teens4Animals Council