4th Graders to Open a Pet Store in Keansburg

This special 'pop up' store is for a great cause: It's all to benefit the Monmouth County Sheriff's Office K9s and Monmouth County SPCA!

The name of the pet store will be Pay It for Paws, and their slogan is "Betcha Can't Shop Just Once!" It will be open to the public for one night only: March 26th, from 5 pm - 7 pm at Joseph C. Caruso School, 81 Frances Place in Keansburg.

The kids in Barbara Leary's class at Joseph C. Caruso School have applied for jobs in the store, and have gone through the interview process. They have also written letters and mailed them to local businesses to request donations for the store. If your business would like to donate any items that the kids can sell in their store to benefit these great causes, please call teacher Barbara Leary at 732-895-1316.

These students have already been working hard for our community since the school year began. They started off collecting items for Hurricane Florence victims.

Then the students participated in therapy dog testing at the Monmouth County SPCA.

In November these children held their first fundraiser (at Texas Roadhouse in Holmdel) and raised over $500.. They followed that up with after-school gift wrapping (at Boscov's in Eatontown) and raised another $100. All of that money goes to the police dogs and the shelter animals.

Mrs. Leary's fourth grade class then kicked off 2019 with a 'Barkery" bakery called Helping Paws followed by yet another fundraiser. The combined total of these funds raised was over $1,100!

As the kids look forward to continuing to help the canine police dogs and the shelter and therapy dogs, they hope to raise a ton of money once their Pay It for Paws store opens at the end of March....but they are not stopping there.

In May the kids will open an Italian restaurant!

Mrs. Leary, you are going above and beyond to teach your students about giving back to our community and supporting non-profits through volunteering and working hard for the benefit of others. We are proud to support you and give your students a big round of applause and a heart-felt THANK YOU!