As per WebMD, 74% of pet parents experience an improvement in their mental health thanks to their pets. Animals have the power to show up for their humans in a way no one can. They have unconditional love and do not leave their loved ones under any circumstances. Unfortunately, the same attitude is often not meted out to animals. They are judged to the extreme by people, and only the ‘best of the lot’ are given the privilege of home. Roman McConn, a 12-year-old animal lover has devoted his life to looking after such vulnerable dogs who do not get adopted, as per Bored Panda. Such dogs are not only devoid of homes they are also in danger of getting euthanized, making Roman’s work so much more important.
Roman’s love for pups was fostered by his mother, Jennifer. But, his mother not only showed him the rosy side of things but also made him encounter the hardships these adorable animals go through in their life. He was informed when he was just 4 that in many places if the dogs do not get adopted in a certain time, they are euthanized. This shocked him beyond belief. As someone, who grew up with two dogs and had them around him all the time, he could personally attest to how much joy they brought to people’s lives. Their love deserved better than being discarded for not being ‘appealing’ in a conventional manner. Hence, he started making videos with the four-legged pups and posting them on social media, so more families in the area could know about them. Slowly, his videos earned a lot of popularity and he decided to take his cause one step further.
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Roman with help from his family launched Project Freedom Ride in 2016. This organization aimed to move dogs out of kill shelters and place them in loving homes. Soon, they transported their first batch of 31 dogs from Texas to Washington. Since then they have grown in leaps and bounds and have managed to connect hundreds of unwanted and abandoned dogs (and a few cats) in Texas and Georgia with rescues and families throughout the US and parts of Canada.
The boy also stepped out in the mainstream media to talk about his efforts on national television for the sake of his pups. He attended popular shows like “The Ellen Degeneres Show” to spread awareness about the animals and was gifted $20,000 for his cause. He was also honored with the Kid of the Year Award! for his efforts. Soon he is going to be the star of his own show on Disney XD. It is titled “Roman to the Rescue.” In this show, he is going to collaborate with influencers to talk about dogs in need of loving families. The show will focus on the personality of dogs and how their loving nature deserves an affectionate home. Though, for many the opportunity to come on TV is life-changing, for Roman it is just a way to help more dogs get a safe home.
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Similar to Roman, Chris Van Dorn is also trying to be the superhero these adorable pups need. He set up the nonprofit Batman4Paws in Orlando, Florida named after his favorite superhero. The organization transports animals from kill shelters to forever homes, foster families, and other safe-havens. “I liked that Batman was mysterious and stood for a symbol that was incorruptible and stood for good. I really admired that,” said Van Dorn, to TODAY. “That’s what I wanted Batman4Paws to be: something that’s there just to be good. To try to do the best you can and stay true to the path.”
