Magnolia High School senior Tanner Nielsen, who is a quarterback on the Panther football team, recently completed his Eagle Scout project and got some help from his teammates.
Nielsen built seven dog houses for the Columbia County Animal Protection Society (CCAPS). With the approval of Magnolia head football coach Mark King, Nielsen got assistance from his teammates to deliver the houses, which had to be lifted over a 6-foot fence into the kennels.
Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America. Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Scout rank has been earned by over 2.5 million youth.
CCAPS’ mission is to provide temporary humane care, food, water, shelter, and medical attention for stray, homeless, abandoned and neglected animals in Columbia County and South Arkansas. It’s a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that benefits abandoned or abused animals.
The shelter houses over 100 different dogs & cats and takes in over 1000 unwanted animals each year. The shelter is maintained through donations from the community as well as proceeds from its Second Chances Thrift Store. It does not get any city, county, state or federal funding.
The Second Chances Thrift Store is also a nonprofit organization which raises money to maintain the animal shelter. Each organization heavily relies on donations and volunteer work from the community.
The CCAPS shelter is located at 510 West Columbia in Magnolia and the Second Chances Thrift Store is at 1519 East Main. For more details, call the shelter at (870) 234-7297 or the store at 234-8255.