APPA (Animal Preservation, Protection, and Awareness) Club Interview Article

“I feel like most people today don’t fully acknowledge that animals have thoughts and opinions,” Jay stated when asked what sparked the idea for her club. “Being able to see how unique and alive each creature is has changed my life, and I really wanted to share this awareness with others as well.” 

The club focuses on raising awareness about the effect humans have on the habitats of animals and just how much we affect their lives. Jay believes in teaching others how we can have a beneficial impact on the lives of all creatures, even if it is not direct, and created APPA so that she could share how the impact we have on them can be improved in the future. Even though the club has just started up, there are some projects in the works; These include raising money for owl houses to place around the school and planting more native plants around the community to invite native animals and insects. These projects can help to balance our ecosystem and show how every contribution can matter. 

Although Jay now understands the importance of each animal’s personality, that wasn’t always the case. Growing up around animals led her to care for them, but the turning point of her passion was found in a cow named Swiss Miss. Swiss Miss and Jay met when Jay was only ten years old, and though the cow is now friendly and joyful, she began as a hostile, anxious, and unapproachable creature. According to Jay: “When we met, I immediately knew I wanted that one.” With time and effort, Swiss Miss became slightly more docile, yet she was still fearful of humans and wouldn’t wear a halter. At this point, Jay and her mother had only been working with Swiss Miss occasionally, but they made the decision to invest more time and work. This one simple switch achieved wonders. Over the course of a year, Swiss Miss went from a nervous and skittish cow to a people-loving wonder. “She will come up to anyone asking to be petted, and it is all because of the constant attention we gave her.” Jay said. “Seeing the progress she has made has really paid off…[this was what] really inspired me to start the club. I wanted to share this amazing experience with others.”

Even with this passion behind her, forming the club was no easy feat. Jay received a lot of pushback from various people because her ideas were too similar to that of other existing clubs. “And even after the club had been created, I also hit another sort of barrier.” Jay admitted when she was asked what difficulties she had to face. “At first, I had all sorts of ideas flowing easily, but later they all ran dry. Getting over that bump was difficult, but also very important.”

Another difficulty Jay faced was making the club an inviting and joyful place. “The topic of animal mistreatment is so sad, and I really didn’t want that to be what the club was like. So I had to make sure I wasn’t including too many depressing topics, because I knew the moment I got sad, everyone else would as well.”