Newtown Animal Advocate Makes A Difference In Lives Of Pets & Owners

NEWTOWN, CT — Newtown student Marley Dixon has won the 2022 Berman Humane Youth Award in recognition of her advocacy for animals.

The award, made possible by the Berman Endowment for Humane Education, highlights the work of young people "whose compassion for animals has made an impact in their communities." She has volunteered extensively for animal welfare and advocacy efforts in the area, including at the Catherine Violet Hubbard Animal Sanctuary.

Marley, a 10th grader at Wooster High School in Danbury, also recently earned a $500 grant through My Friend Abby, Inc. to support an awareness campaign on the connection between mental health and companion animals. She used the money to craft 20 gift baskets for people who were newly adopting cats and dogs. Included with each basket was a flyer of frequently asked questions about the positive impact animals have on their owners' mental health.

Marley told Patch that the credit for her interest in the effects of pet compassion upon their owners can be laid at the paws of her two cats and two dogs, rescues all.

"I think that my dogs have such empathy. Whenever I'm sad, my dog can tell. And it's just it's such a good feeling, because it's almost as if he's listening to me," she said. "He licks my tears off some times, as silly as that sounds."

The connection goes both ways. One of Marley's dogs, Dewey, came from a rescue in Mississippi, where she says he was treated terribly.

"But we welcomed him into our home, and we can see the change," she said. "At first he was very timid, very shy, very awkward, but now he just loves to be cuddled and touched and pet… I can see he's improving. It makes me so happy."