Shelters
Melissa - Rowlett Animal Services
“I am a volunteer at a very small city shelter here in Rowlett, Texas.
Terra found me on the TikTok page I have for the shelter a few years back. I still remember the first art drawn by school kids. I shared on our volunteer page and the Rowlett Facebook page.
Everyone loved the art and just thought how amazing it was that these young kids are helping shelter dogs.
This teaches kids how important it is to adopt a shelter pet.
When a dog is adopted, and we give them the art of their new family member they are all just so excited. This project is a great way to promote shelter animals and teach the importance of adopting.”
Karla - The Critter Whisperer’s Society
“Working with Hearts of Gold, created by Terra, has been an incredible experience.
It provided us with a unique opportunity to showcase our beloved dogs to the world.
We firmly believe in the transformative power of youth in shaping our planet's future, which is why we eagerly embraced this chance. Despite the challenges posed by our country's under-equipped shelters, where showcasing such artwork remains a struggle, we found a way. Through a heartfelt video showcasing these exquisite drawings, we shared them extensively across all our platforms.
We wholeheartedly endorse initiatives akin to Terra's, and we're in awe of the young artists who pour their hearts into aiding random animals. This creative outlet serves as a remarkable vehicle for instilling compassion and kindness in these budding talents. It's remarkable how a seemingly small gesture can yield a monumental impact”
Savannah - MACS Friends Animal Rescue Inc.
“We are MACS Friends Animal Rescue Inc. and we are a foster based animal rescue located in North/ Central Georgia. We were sent an email from the founder of Heart of Gold, Terra asking if we would be interested in her program. She explained she has been running a project on TikTok called Hearts of Gold where elementary school kids make art for homeless animals. It's completely free, she does the footwork, and we get the art. She explained she gives bios of long-time residents of rescues and shelters to schools so the kids can draw pictures and write a little bit about them! We thought this was a great idea for shelters and were wondering if we, as a rescue without a brick and mortar building, could utilize this program to help our animals.
Well we can tell you that we LOVED IT!
We sent about 14 animals to her and received the pictures back through the mail in a few weeks and it was amazing. Our staff and volunteers loved seeing all the perspectives of our animals. That alone boosted morale for us which in this line of work, can get low when things get tough. We took the pictures and made an adoption board that we take to EVERY adoption event! It is a HUGE hit with the public! To see animals through the eyes of a child is so special. They don't see scars and damaged animals. They see love and an animal that just wants a home to be loved in forever! People gathered in our partnered store. We do adoptions twice a month there, and had the board up for National Adoption week. People loved the pictures and sweet words.
It brought in people and gave us an opportunity to answer more questions and get the animals seen for who they are! 10 out of 14 animals with pictures were adopted within that month.
We definitely enjoyed the kids' perspective and would recommend them to any rescue or shelter. It is worth the extra effort for the animals! ”
Sara - Daviess County Animal Care and Control (DCAC)
“The Hearts of Gold project is spectacular! Terra is making a world of difference in these animals' lives. The artwork these elementary school children make is so pure and sweet. It filled our hearts with so much joy to share the artwork with our community and local shelter.
Many of the animals in the artwork have now been adopted or transferred to wonderful rescues. This artwork helped them get there!
It was a stepping stone in saving their lives. What a wonderful world it would be if we could teach all children about "adopt don't shop". Thankful that the Hearts of Gold project is doing just that. Making a real difference, one beautiful animal drawing at a time. Many thanks and well wishes. As always, adopt don't shop, and fostering saves lives too! ”
Schools
Teacher CH
“My students and I absolutely loved the project! Students were thrilled that they could positively impact the life of an animal and help it find a home. Our lives were truly touched by the photos and information of each animal. Students took the project very seriously and worked incredibly hard on their artwork. They all wanted to get updates about the animals and some even went home to ask their families if they could adopt an animal living in a shelter.
This is just one of those projects that truly inspires and brings out the best of humanity.”
Teacher RH
“I highly recommend participating with the Hearts of Gold project with students.
All of my students thoroughly enjoyed creating posters for the dogs and cats who needed a home. I even had some students who wanted to create more than 1 poster and took an extra one home to finish. The students took a lot of care in creating the posters and loved getting the video of their creations afterwards.”
Teacher TC
“I can’t put into words how grateful I am for having the opportunity to participate in such a wonderful program. My third grade class LOVES it when we get new pets from the “pet lady!” They take such ownership of the pet they choose, they love drawing the pet pictures (even my most hesitant artists), and they have shown such creativity when writing their profile from the pets’ perspective.
The projects have become a learning opportunity and high engagement activity.
I can’t wait to introduce my new class to the wonderful things you are doing and get them started on their first project. Thank you for all you do!”
Teacher BJ
“This will be my second-year working with Terra on the Hearts of Gold project. I learned about this amazing opportunity through a teacher on my team who showed me all the pictures her students created for animals who are in shelters. I instantly fell in love with this idea and the amazing opportunity for students to get involved within the community and help animals get seen in the hopes that they will find their forever home! Terra has been such a pleasure to work with. She has a heart of gold herself, and the way
she helps animals in need and how she gets students involved within the schools is helping our youth leave a positive footprint within their own community that will follow them for the rest of their lives.
I look forward to continuing to work with Terra and creating positive experiences with my students that they will always remember while making a difference in the lives of animals who are in need of a loving, happy home! Thank you Terra for all that you do and making a difference in the lives of animals, you are AMAZING! ”