Scout's Eagle Project Fixes Up Humane Society

The was where Aaron Brown got his dog Boto—a German shepherd/beagle mix—five years ago, so when it came time for Brown to tackle his Eagle project, the Society seemed like a good place to start.

“I’ve always wanted to give back to this place,” Brown, of Troop 3 out of Western Springs’ , said at the Humane Society on Monday afternoon. “I came here initially thinking that I’d do something inside, not something as big or as cool as this. But when I was presented the problem of the retaining walls, I took it on and I was really excited to do it.”

Those retaining walls hold in the garden outside the Humane Society’s front door, and the problem was that the red bricks were crumbling and giving the building exterior a haphazard, dilapidated look. That wouldn’t do for a respected rescue organization—least of all the one that gave the world Morris the Cat.

So Brown got in contact with Prairie Path Pavers and Hinsdale Nurseries, who donated the money and materials he needed to put together his project. After about four months of planning, the work took place on Monday and Tuesday—starting with knocking down the old walls.

“It was very physical—it was a lot more fun than I thought it was going to be,” Brown said of the demolition.

Using Rivercrest wall stone from Unilock, Brown and five other Troop 3 members rebuilt the two walls into a visual that the Humane Society could be proud of.

“We don’t want people to think that because we don’t care for the outside of our building that we’re not caring for the animals,” said Lori Halligan, executive director of the Hinsdale Humane Society, which currently houses about 30 dogs and two dozen cats awaiting adoption.

“We’re really excited that Aaron wanted to do this…These are the kinds of projects that we don’t have the expertise or the time or the budget to put forth.”

Halligan added that the summer is “a good time to add a pet to your family.”