By Marah Hoffman ‘22, guest writer
In 2017, LVC student and Cause for Paws co-founder Summer Boltz was quoted in La Vie Collegienne saying, “hopefully someday Cause for Paws will become an LVC standard.” Now, five years later, current Cause for Paws president Daelyn Stabler said, “The club is rapidly becoming a standard.”
Describing her decision to take over the club in the fall of 2021, Stabler used the word “reinvention.” During the pandemic, clubs were largely sterilized of connection. Off-campus activities halted. Participation waned. So not long after Cause for Paws’ founding, the club had no pulse. Stabler along with her vice president and boyfriend, Robbie Moul, revived it.
Jen Liedtka, LVC’s service & volunteerism coordinator, approached Stabler because of her passion for animals. Stabler is a junior biology major with a minor in environmental studies who plans to be a zoo veterinarian after graduation. Liedtka could think of no better leader for Cause for Paws.
Not long after agreeing to take on the role of Cause for Paws president, Stabler enlisted the help of Moul, a senior neuroscience and chemistry double major. As a pre-COVID member of Cause for Paws, Moul was familiar with the club’s connection to CATRA, which stands for The Capital Area Therapeutic Riding Association. CATRA helps people with special needs ride horses as a form of occupational therapy.
Volunteering at CATRA was a cornerstone of the club in the past that both Moul and Stabler felt must be continued. However, they have involved themselves in CATRA to an unprecedented degree.
“We go to the farm almost every Sunday night to do night checks and make sure all the animals are tucked in,” Moul said. “Being with the animals is a great escape from the burdens of life.”
Stabler interjected, laughing, “But in the winter, it can be rough.”
These leaders’ devotion, despite challenges, stems from an intense passion for the organization’s mission.
“We often forget that people with autism exist in the adult world,” Moul explained. “But at CATRA, they have a place. They can be experts at something.”
And there are many inspiring moments.
“It is really hard to see improvement in a single session, but there was this one girl with Tourette’s,” Moul said. “Seeing her ticks disappear as she got more comfortable was very meaningful to me. She opened up so much.”
CATRA hosts a wide spectrum of participants.
“We see everything from people who have mental disabilities to physical disabilities,” Moul said. “There is a girl with cerebral palsy who can tell you way more about horses than I can. There are men with autism who show me how to get the horses ready.”
Volunteering at CATRA has been an enormous source of connection for Cause for Paws members in desperate need of an escape from their computer screens.
“I have walked away from every experience with new knowledge and gratitude,” Stabler said.
Besides going to CATRA practically every weekend, the couple has planned numerous fun events focused on community service. They have conducted food drives for the humane society, made dog toys out of old t-shirts, and fashioned cat and dog blankets out of fleece. For ValleyFest, Cause for Paws is excited to host Zoo America.
“We are the organizers, not necessarily the ones fueling all the manpower,” Stabler said. “Our work is very applicable to physical therapy, exercise science, special education, early childhood education, environmental science, and sociology. So many fields at LVC could benefit from participating in Cause for Paws.”
The diverse sources of the club’s involvement are a testament to Moul and Stabler’s ability to promote and propel Cause for Paws.
Stabler reveals that what has elevated the club is its emphasis on service.
“Cause for Paws has evolved from an educational and entertainment focus to a service focus,” she added. “The club used to watch animal-themed movies, which is a fun activity we still consider planning one day. But we want tangible results. Everyone loves animals, but not everyone knows what it is like to make a difference”
When asked why service is important, Stabler said, “Service lets you grow as a person while you are also growing as a student. You need both in college. When you help your community, you gain experiences and relationships you wouldn’t get if you just stayed in your corner.”
Cause for Paws gets students out of their corner. Whether it is a short trip to CATRA or an on-campus activity, members of Cause for Paws find that by investing their time in others, they alleviate their stress and expand their world.