Guiding Animal Welfare Leaders of Tomorrow

Girls Inc. is a leadership organization that encourages girls to reach their potential. Its Eureka! program provides hands-on summer activities and internships for young women interested in careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

This past summer Dakin welcomed an intern from this remarkable group, 16-year-old Keishly Perez. For four weeks, Keishly learned a range of skills and tasks related to animal care. She recalled, “Girls Inc. asked me what I was interested in, and I told them I wanted to either work with kids or be a veterinarian, then chose animals to see if I really wanted that or not.”

Keishly worked in Dakin’s adoption center, Spay/Neuter Clinic, and Pet Food Aid Program. She cleaned cages, photographed animals, worked alongside the intake team, and helped with administrative duties. Her favorite part? Seeing the animals, especially dogs, get adopted.

Of her internship, Keishly noted, “It made me realize that I can do anything. It gave me confidence.” She is now back in school, but wants to reconnect with animals by volunteering at Dakin.  

Dakin’s Executive Director Meg Talbert stated, “When we learned that Girls Inc. had a participant who was interested in learning more about veterinary science and animal welfare, we jumped at the chance to host Keishly and introduce her to the wide variety of ways that we help animals and people in our community. She took advantage of every opportunity to learn and pitch in during her four weeks with us, and our talented staff and volunteers were equally excited to teach her about their work, too.”