Kalamazoo County Boy Scout builds stray, feral cats homes for animal shelter

KALAMAZOO COUNTY, Mich. — A West Michigan teen who is working towards the highest rank in Boy Scouts is helping out an animal shelter and its feral cats during these winter months.

It is all part of a leadership project he is doing to gain that rank.

Current Life Scout, Keegan Gallagher is on his way to the rank of Eagle Scout at just 15 years old. It’s the seventh and highest rank in Boy Scouts of America.

Gallagher built four houses for the SPCA of Southwest Michigan to keep its feral cats warm during the cold, snowy months.

“I live in this community. I feel like it is everyone’s job to make a community better,” said Keegan Gallagher, a Boy Scout who is working towards his Eagle Scout rank.

For Keegan Gallagher, making the community better was helping out the SPCA of Southwest Michigan. It’s the same animal shelter he and his family adopted their two dogs from.

“I love this organization, and I love what they do. I really wanted to help them out. I asked their volunteer manager if there was anything else I could do for a volunteer project, and they said they could use some houses,” said Gallagher.

The project serves as one of the main parts to gain the highest rank.

“The whole point of the Eagle Scout project is that you’re the leader of the project. You’re not really the hands-on worker. I was a lot of hands-on, however, I did all the planning. That is what really took the time. This got all done in like two days,” said Gallagher.

Gallagher took it a step further and built four insulated houses, more than the SPCA expected.

Inside, the shelter will put blankets and other supplies to help keep the stray and feral cats warm.

“These houses serve as their little area to come in and out of and not have to be inside and be an indoor cat, but they can still keep that freedom and not having to worry about freezing. Also it is a way for mother cats to shelter their babies,” said Gallagher.

The project cost a total of $200 which was paid for through money raised. Gallagher raised an additional $100 that he is donating to the shelter so they can purchase other needed supplies like food, dish soap and paper towel.

“I think that the feeling that you’re doing something for something in need is so much better than any other reward you can gain,” said Gallagher.

Gallagher said he is currently waiting on his board of review to earn his Eagle Scout rank.

Since an Eagle Scout is generally 17 or 18, and he is only 15, Gallagher plans to work on gaining more merit badges and additional leadership skills while he is still involved in Boy Scouts of America.

Story originally posted by Fox 17 Online, January 11, 2022

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