ATLANTA — A local woman has a shot at $25,000 for her work dedicated to saving animals in their communities.
Grace Hamlin started W-Underdogs when she saw kids in her neighborhood being pursued by gangs. She invited the kids to her home for safety, where they started helping her care for the animals she had been rescuing off the streets.
Participants in the program help care for strays, build dog houses from scraps of materials found on the streets, train dogs so they can one day be adopted and distribute free pet food to families in need.
Hamlin has been rescuing dogs for more than two decades, and said teaching young men and women who help care for strays also teaches them necessary life values, like being compassionate, social and working together.
Now, Hamlin is poised to help even more animals through the Petco Foundation's Unsung Hero Awards.
Six groups out of thousands – including W-Underdogs – were chosen as finalists for the award. But only one of those groups will be named Unsung Hero of the year and receive $25,000 to fund their work.
The winner is chosen by popular vote, and you can help W-Underdogs by going to PetcoFoundation.org, and voting for their project.
Voting ends May 25, and a winner will be announced June 8.
