Granada High School senior Eileen Seetho is passionate about pet care.
Using the internet as a platform to spread her message, she founded a website and club to positively impact her community and their furry friends.
“The website, ‘Better Care for Pets,’ primarily targets teen and adult audiences,” said Eileen, 17. “We post weekly blogs on pet care, pet physiology and wildlife preservation. Our mission is to show people they can make a difference in their pet’s well-being.”
The Livermore resident said her website serves as a guide to help pet owners keep their animals happy and well-cared for. She began building the site last summer, while shelter-in-place restrictions kept many people at home, noting her newfound downtime allowed her to get creative. She also began Pet Care Club (PCC) to help spread awareness and education on the subject of pet care.
Several experiences with animals — both domesticated and wild — helped form Eileen’s love of all creatures at a young age. She recalled one animal in particular, Jasper, who touched her heart.
“My love for animals grew even further when a baby squirrel fell out of a tree when I was in ninth grade,” said Eileen. “I named him Jasper, and he was so young; he was still both blind and deaf. I became attached to him, but I decided the best thing I could do for him was to give him to the Lindsay Wildlife Foundation, because they had a rehab program for squirrels in similar situations. This experience changed my life.”
Alyssa Eaton, vice president of PCC, is also a longtime animal lover. She said she is thankful for the opportunities the club offers.
“I am currently a sophomore, so I started high school during quarantine with little opportunities to get involved,” Alyssa said. “Overall, I would say that becoming a member of this club and taking part in writing the blogs has inspired me to continue working with animals in the future and trying to educate more people on everyday issues in the animal world.”
Alyssa takes a leadership role during club meetings, helping members to educate themselves about animal physiology. She also leads the group in organizing club events and collecting supplies for local animal shelters. She authored one blog post discussing the energy levels of different dog breeds and looks forward to writing more.
“The website Eileen started has a lot to do with our goals of spreading awareness and educating others about current issues, both with pets in captivity, …….