A few years ago, while on vacation with her family, Romilly Gray was thrilled to be able to help redirect a baby turtle that was rolling in the wrong direction back to the sea. She was four years old.
Since then, the Dubai schoolgirl has strengthened her empathy and altruism.
When the Gray family moved from Newcastle to Dubai, one of the first things 10-year-old Romilly noticed was how many people were abandoned and stray animals there was. Romilly says she can’t help but sympathize with them and even understand how difficult it must be for them on the streets.
“I find it easy to put myself in their place,” says Romilly The National. “And that makes me really sad.”
Wanting to help, she decided to take action by creating homemade dog biscuits. She donated the profits to K9 Friends, an animal rescue group in Dubai, which she visited with her family. So far, she has managed to collect around Dh2,000 in turnover.
Another reason Romilly has feelings for animals is her affection for her cockapoo dog, Ori, who her mother, Aisling, says is the love of her life. Homemade dog biscuits that aren’t sold go to Ori.
“We had two foster dogs and Ori didn’t like it,” she says with a laugh. “She loved having all the attention to herself.”
It is not only at home that Romilly is committed to animals. As a student at JVT’s Arcadia School, she also started a club for her classmates called Animals Lovers of Arcadia, to bring together others interested in helping.
The core of the club meets weekly and discusses several topics, including how to raise awareness. Romilly describes what a past meeting was like for members when they were working on a project.
“Half of it is just speech, and then we made this huge poster,” she says. “Everyone added pictures of animals to it, and then people did things like bake sales in their communities.”
Arcadia director Giles Pruett says he is impressed by Romilly’s enthusiasm and passion for animal welfare, calling her “a beacon for others to lead the way.” He believes that having a club focused on animal welfare also benefits children in the long run.
“Becoming better citizens through selfless actions is our school’s very first value,” Pruett said.
“We want our children and students to leave school with a genuine desire to support others and contribute to the global, regional or local community for reasons of collectivism and empathy.
“Taking interest in and supporting marginalized areas of society, such as animal welfare, is a great way to cultivate and develop these altruistic feelings. As the world becomes more and more connected, our children will evolve into a mature society where collective action will be of fundamental importance.
In the future, Romilly hopes to continue helping animals. When she started making dog biscuits, her mother sent a WhatsApp message to the local dog community asking if they would like to support the business.
They were approached by the owner of Aria and Bianca’s Bubble Tea Cafe, a dog-friendly establishment, who asked them to stock homemade dog treats. The first 20 bags sold out relatively quickly. The family was then contacted by dog daycare centers Paws and Friends and The Barking Lot.
Romilly hopes to continue raising money for animal rescue organizations, as well as hosting more school bake sales.
She also hopes others will think about the role they can play in helping animals. “They don’t have their own voice,” she said. “Humans can ask for something they need, but animals cannot. »
Updated: October 31, 2023, 11:13 a.m.