Mary Lin Elementary students take action to help Atlanta’s overfilled animal shelters

ATLANTA - When the final bell rings at Mary Lin Elementary School in Candler Park, not every student rushes for the door. That’s because there’s a waitlist to join the school’s popular Homeless Pets Club, a group dedicated to helping rescue animals find forever homes.

What we know:

The group is led by STEAM teacher Missy Snyder and meets every Monday afternoon. 

Students visit shelters, learn about responsible pet ownership, and organize donation drives for rescue organizations.

What they're saying:

"Homeless Pet Club helps raise awareness about rescues in our community," said student Elyse Vanhoosear. "A lot of shelters are full, and it’s important to help dogs like Bear because he needs a home just like a lot of other dogs."

Snyder said the students’ efforts have already made a real impact.

"We’ve helped adopt out over a dozen dogs and cats so far," she said.

But Snyder says the lessons go beyond just helping animals — they also help students develop empathy and resilience.

"It’s a good coping mechanism," she said. "You learn to move on and see the good that can come from helping."

Many of the animals the students feature have faced hardships, including one dog named Bear who had been shot before arriving at the shelter.

"He had a lot of little bullets in his leg called buckshot," Snyder said. "So he got shot apparently at some point."

The students share the pets’ stories on social media and at school to raise awareness.

"What we do is we get to know their story — their voice," Snyder explained.

"It’s important because in order to get them homes, people need to be aware of the dogs who need the homes," added Vanhoosear.

After more than a decade of success, Snyder hopes to see the Homeless Pets Club expand across Atlanta.

"Not only are our shelters overflowing, but they are full of great pets that make wonderful family dogs," Snyder said. "We want a Homeless Pet Club in every single school in our city."

Why you should care:

Both the DeKalb and Fulton Counties animal shelters report overcrowding. In the past week, the shelters said more than 40 dogs were at risk of being euthanized if they weren't adopted. 

What you can do:

Snyder says anyone interested in starting a club can reach out to her directly. You can email her at msnyder@atlanta.k12.ga.us.