For my service hours last semester I made homemade dog treats and donated them to Southern Pines Animal Shelter. This semester I wanted to try something a little different.

I decided to make handmade dog toys out of denim and water bottles. I chose denim because I knew that it was a thicker fabric that would likely last a long time. I purchased my material early in the semester and I made the dog toys over time. Each toy took 20-30 minutes to make, and the first few were tested on my own lab for effectiveness. I was very pleased with how they turned out, and they ended up being a fun and cost-friendly way to make nice and sturdy dog toys.

If anyone is interested in making their own toys and donating them to Southern Pines, you can contact David Fondren at dfondren@sopines.org. Find out more about being involved at Southern Pines on their volunteer site.

Blog post author Hope Marshall just completed her second year as a Luckyday Scholar. She is majoring in elementary education.