12-year-old named Snake River Animal Shelter Summer Volunteer of the Year

IDAHO FALLS — Bo Weaver is not your typical 12-year-old boy who spent his summer playing video games and riding bikes.

Instead, Bo chose to give back to his community by volunteering nearly 250 hours at the Snake River Animal Shelter (SRAS). Due to his dedication to the animals, Snake River Animal Shelter awarded Bo the 2022 Summer Volunteer of the Year.

With a natural gift for taking care of animals, Bo began volunteering in May.

“At first, I was concerned that due to his age, he would not be able to carefully take care of our rescue animals as we take the safety of our staff, volunteers, and animals very seriously,” says Executive Director Michelle Ziel-Dingman.

But after training and monitoring by shelter staff, it became apparent that Bo was an extraordinary 12-year-old.

“Bo went through hours of training to learn how to safely take care of both dogs and cats in our facility and has gone above and beyond to provide a unique customer experience,” Ziel-Dingman explains. “I have never met a kid with such keenly developed skills in both animal and facility care.”

If you’ve adopted a pet from SRAS since May, you’ve probably seen Bo in the facility. With a bright cheerful smile, Bo frequently greets visitors as they come into the rescue shelter…when he’s not cleaning dog and cat kennels or making TikToks for the shelter’s social media. He likely even told you about the animal that you were interested in or even set up a meet-and-greet with you and your future pet.

“Bo took the time to explain the details of each dog that we were interested in. He told us the truth – the good and bad – and really helped us decide which dog was right for us. He was thorough and seemed to really understand what kind of dog we were looking for. That kid is amazing,” exclaimed one recent dog adopter.

When Bo is asked why likes volunteering at Snake River Animal Shelter, he simply replies “this is my home. Being with the animals is my happy place.”

Thanks to a grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Snake River Animal Shelter has a Volunteer Coordinator to ensure that volunteers like Bo receive hands-on training and staff support to develop their skills in animal care. SRAS Volunteer Coordinator Isabelle Hurley has been amazed at all that Bo has accomplished during his first summer of volunteering.

“Bo is really mature for his age. He’s learned our processes, which can be complex, and helped our shelter increase adoptions by providing a special and fun adoption experience,” says Hurley. “He loves greeting our customers and helping find them the perfect pet match.”

Bo will attend Taylorview Middle School as a 7th grader this month.