The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Oakville teen gives back to friends at OMHS by Herb Garbutt Oakville Beaver Staff 37 | Thursday, November 13, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com She was just 10 years old when she launched her first entrepreneurial endeavour. But Emma Haslam's dog-walking business, which earned her a quarter for a 15-minute walk, wasn't hatched to save for an iPod, a video game or the latest smartphone. Instead, the proceeds from her venture went to the Oakville Milton Humane Society (OMHS). Haslam was inspired by a school trip to the humane society while attending Hawthorne Village Public School. "My parents always taught me to stand up for what I believe in," said Haslam, now 15. "When I went to the humane society and saw the animals, they can't speak for themselves. If nobody speaks up for them, then they won't have a voice." Since starting her dog-walking business, Haslam has branched out to making homemade dog treats -- she researched healthy recipes online and then sold them to pet owners in her neighbourhood -- pet sitting and organizing Paws at Play events. In total, she has raised more than $1,500 for the OMHS. The youth added another $1,500 to that contribution recently, after being named the winner of the Pets Plus Us volunteer award. The Canada-wide honour, one of six Champion Awards handed out by the Oakville- Oakville's Emma Haslam (centre) receives the Pets Plus Us volunteer award of $1,500, which she donated to the Oakville-Milton Humane Society (OMHS). That is on top of $1,500 she has already raised by walking dogs, selling homemade dog treats, pet sitting and organizing Paws at Play events. With Haslam are Pets Plus Us `Top Dog' Randy Valpy and Kim Millan, OMHS executive director. | photo by Riziero Vertolli ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog or facebook.com/HaltonPhotog) based insurance provider, recognizes individuals who loyally treat, volunteer, rescue and care for pets. "There were so many untold stories of people giving their time to look after the welfare of pets," Pets Plus Us Top Dog Randy Valpy said of the reason for starting the award program that also recognizes individuals in the areas of veterinary clinic, veterinary staff, community outreach, shelter and rescue, and pet owner. The company received 161 nominations, which then were narrowed down to a group of five finalists in each category by 77,000 online votes. A panel of judges then selected the winner. In addition to her fundraising efforts, Haslam has also become a valued volunteer the Cornwall Road shelter, where she has been involved in the youth apprentice program. "Once I was able to interact with and learn about the animals, and as soon as I saw what I could do to help, I wanted to get involved," she said. The Grade 10 student at Craig Kielburger Secondary School also cares for a varied collection of animal friends at home that includes two dogs, a hamster, a rabbit, two fish and a Quaker parrot named Dewey, who is featured in the OMHS 2015 calendar. "It's so uplifting that young people want to be there and be responsible to the animals," said OMHS executive director Kim Millan. "(Emma) is representative of what the youths of today will be. Everything she does, she shares with her friends and that carries on." "We're a big supporter of the work of the Oakville Milton Humane Society and we are neighbours," Valpy said. "We were very pleased to have someone here win and being our youngest winner, she's an inspiration to others. It's a huge testament to what she's done." With close to 400 animals in the OMHS's care, Millan said there will be no shortage of valuable ways to use Haslam's award donation, including for medical costs, food and supplies. Local Events Find Fin WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY www.insidehalton.com