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Ann Arbor teens honored with ‘Humane Youth Award’ from local animal shelter

Winner, runners up dedicated to local animal advocacy

Humane Youth Award champions Zachary Koolage-Hall (left), Julia Chen (center), and Aileen Bachrens (right). (Humane Society of Huron Valley)

Zachary Koolage-Hall has been named this year’s winner of the Humane Youth Award for his dedication to local cats.

Created by the Humane Society of Huron Valley, the award is given to local youth ages 12-17 who have impacted the community by advocating for area animals, people and the environment.

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Koolage-Hall, 12, was chosen for the honor due to his regular actions in helping Ann Arbor cats find forever homes. HSHV officials said that Koolage-Hall helps take care of foster kittens and finds families for barn cats who aren’t used to living indoors. He also spent his own money to buy a live trap to capture a missing cat.

He will be given a “Humie” trophy at the humane society’s annual Compassionate Feast on Thursday.

“It is truly heartwarming to witness the passion and dedication of these remarkable young people who are making a real difference in the lives of animals—and of us all,” said HSHV vice president of Volunteers and Humane Education Karen Patterson in a release. “Their hard work and advocacy inspire and make us hopeful for the world’s future. We are so honored to recognize them.”

Two more Ann Arbor teens were honored as runners-up for the youth award. Each will receive a plaque and will be included in HSHV marketing materials along with the winner.

Junior volunteer Julia Chen, 14, has put in more than 60 hours of work taking care of HSHV’s shelter animals. Officials said Chen has made blankets and toys for animals in her free time and even planted a pollinator-friendly garden after learning about the plight of Monarch butterflights.

Aileen Bachrens, 17, is another junior volunteer at HSHV who has shown her dedication to animals. Bachrens has helped socialize scared, shy animals during her volunteer time. She also donated more than $200 to HSHV after hosting a bake sale in downtown Ann Arbor.

HSHV officials said that Lula Cook, Aniya Lewis, Megan Ohm, and Megan Peng would also receive honor mentioned for their work with the shelter.

Learn more about the Humane Youth Award here.


About the Author
Sarah Parlette headshot

Sarah has worked for WDIV since June 2018. She covers community events, good eats and small businesses in Ann Arbor and has a Master's degree in Applied Linguistics from Grand Valley State University.

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