Tonight, nearly 5,000 dogs who were on “death row” in high-kill shelters will go to bed in their safe, loving forever homes, all thanks to the efforts of a 10-year-old boy.
Roman McConn was only 4 years old when he learned about the overcrowded animal shelters that plague the area where he lived in Texas. His little heart was broken when he heard that many unwanted pets are put to sleep because of the lack of people willing to take them in. Even at his young age, he vowed to find a solution to this tragic issue.
Roman started small. Mom Jennifer McConn brought him to local shelters to volunteer. While he was there, the boy made cute videos of dogs who were waiting to be adopted, focusing primarily on the underdogs.
“We pick ones that have been there the longest and have the saddest story and are less likely to get adopted, like pit bulls, labs and other big dogs,” said Roman.
When he was 8, Roman expanded his videos to create a YouTube show on the Dodo Kids network. One year later, he and his mother founded Project Freedom Ride, a nonprofit that transports dogs from Texas to northern states, where they have a much better chance of being adopted. Since 2016, they have rescued over 4,200 dogs!
Seventeen of those dogs will be featured on Roman’s newest venture, a television show called “Roman To The Rescue.” This show features one adoptable dog per episode. In each episode, Roman gets to know the dog’s personality and traits, likes and dislikes, and other qualities, then make a high quality video about the animal. Children watch these videos and can apply to adopt them, then Roman and a trained veterinarian select the perfect kid for each dog.
“I feel so happy when the dog gets adopted,” he said. “But sometimes it’s so hard to let the dog go.”
“Roman To The Rescue” will stream on Disney XD and Hulu. He hopes the show will inspire other children his age to take initiative about issues they feel passionately about. He also wants the show to help him find more homes for dogs. He won’t quit until every dog in the world has a loving forever home!
“My goal is to get every dog in America adopted, just to begin with,” he said. “Then I think after that, get every dog in the world adopted. The best part about dogs is that they’re just a best friend and they’ll never judge you for anything.”
How incredible is this young man? It’s rare to see such compassion and determination in a kid his age, and we can’t wait to see more of it on his new show!
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