Sophomore Morgan Johnson loves animals more than life itself. When she was a senior in high school, Johnson started a fundraising club for stray animals, and her efforts to promote animal welfare would continue in college with her founding of the All Paws In club.  

“We encourage our members to volunteer here at the Bristol Animal Shelter because you can get there by shuttle, and we also host fundraisers on campus for animals affected by natural disasters and also the local animal shelters,” Johnson said. 

“We go broader than just this campus and this community,” said sophomore Victoria Love.

For fundraisers, the club has done pumpkin painting, movie night, and a caramel apple station in Commons. Coming up next, they will be selling Pillsbury sugar cookies and holding a candy cane delivery on Dec. 13. And, of course, they will be going to the Bristol Animal Shelter again.

Johnson works at the Bristol Animal Shelter for work study, but encourages other members to volunteer there as well. Members get to meet and entertain the animals and sometimes clean around the shelter. They get to bring at least five to 10 members to the animal shelter on a weekly basis.

“Bristol Animal Shelter is a police-run shelter, so my boss is an Animal Control Officer, and there’s always an officer on duty at the shelter,” Johnson said. 

She added, “They are funded by a non-profit called Friends of Bristol Animal Shelter. I really like the way they run things… and the animals are treated really well.”

In the future, there will be continued efforts to raise money for animals affected by natural disasters, as this has been such a sweeping issue for animals during hurricane season. 

The whole club is very community-based. 

“I think it’s really important if everyone on campus is involved somehow,” Love said. “The club is very open, because I feel like almost everyone on campus can agree that we all love animals and help animals.”