Robert Brown, 13, and his little brother, Joseph, 5, do some touchup painting to the barn doors as part of Robert's Eagle Scout project. Photo by Debbie Roberts, FLORIDA TODAY
Robert Brown, 13, and his little brother, Joseph, 5, do some touchup painting to the barn doors as part of Robert's Eagle Scout project. Photo by Debbie Roberts, FLORIDA TODAY |
An ardent volunteer at animal care shelters, the 13-year-old Boy Scout, a member of Troop 497 of Port St. John, chose to renovate a small barn at the North Brevard Animal Care Center on Flake Road in Titusville.
With the help of family members and fellow Scouts, Robert's project came to fruition after just a few weekends of enthusiastic effort. The renovation, which included painting, replacing old wood and adding sand in front of the barn to alleviate flooding problems, was completed Sept. 15.
"I originally started planning a meals on wheels for pets, but then I called up the SPCA and found out they already have that," said Robert, an active Scout since first grade. "Then my dad, who works for animal services, told me about this barn. It was in a really bad state when I first saw it. There were actually rats living under the flooring, but we cleaned all that out."
The North Brevard Animal Care Center currently houses about 70 animals, according to James Lee, a lead animal care technician.
"This barn has been used in the past for horses, pigs and goats. But it flooded out whenever it rained because the ground wasn't level," said Lee. "Working on the barn was a good all-around project; the type of project that is a character builder, because it's a lot of hard work."
Lee said that North Brevard Roads and Bridges donated sand, which was used to build up the ground area in front of the barn. Sherman Williams, Ace Hardware and Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse donated supplies, and Roy Gonzalez of Canaveral Groves provided the use of his small Bobcat tractor.
Robert is the son of Bob and Melanie Brown of Rockledge and Cheryle and Mike Mako of Merritt Island. A student at Edgewood Middle School on Merritt Island, he is no stranger to taking on tasks that benefit animals.
Last summer, Robert volunteered 80 hours at the animal shelter in Melbourne. There, he worked with the staff veterinarian, Dr. Robbie Asher, caring for animals, assisting with surgery cleanups and performing various other duties.
"I want to be a veterinarian because I've always had a love for animals," said Robert. "I have a Labrador named Dudley and a beagle named Loki. I also have a cat and a leopard gecko."
Robert's father, Bob, a community outreach officer for Brevard County Animal Services and Enforcement, which runs both the north and south animal care centers, said his son has expressed a desire to do veterinary work since the age of 8.
"I'm just so proud of him, I can hardly put it into words," said Brown. "I've had people who have worked with him come and tell me what a fine young man he is and that makes me just swell up with pride. Parents like to take credit for their kids turning out this great, but I think Robert was born with a lot of his spirit."
Cheryle Mako said it's typical for Robert to become exhilarated by projects that help the community.
"He's always been the type of person who enjoys helping others and he also likes to spend a lot of time with his younger siblings, Joseph, who is 5, and Emily, who is 3," said the proud mom. "Starting this project, organizing it and following through with it has been very exciting for him. It's very satisfying for him to know that he is making a difference for the animals that need a temporary place to stay." It will be a few weeks before Robert learns whether or not he's earned the rank of Eagle Scout, but if he does, he'll be joining an elite group, said Jim Huggins, scoutmaster of Troop 497.
"A very small percentage of Boy Scouts actually make it to Eagle Scout, because it's a lot of work," said Huggins. "Nowadays, there are so many other things for kids to get involved with, that there aren't very many boys who are willing to stay with the program. The Eagle rank has always been the most difficult rank to obtain, so it's quite an achievement to get there."
No matter what the outcome, Robert said he feels good about his project and plans to continue doing what he can to help others.
"I think it's great when people help the community by working together, pulling together as a team. The whole object is leadership, beautification and making our community a better place," he said.