‘A Scoop For Love’: Smithtown Students, Ice Cream Shop Team Up To Help Shelter Pets Find Homes

SMITHTOWN, NY — Valentine’s Day in Smithtown came with a sweet twist this year as students, local leaders, and a hometown ice cream shop joined forces to turn desserts into a message of compassion for shelter animals.

The Town of Smithtown partnered with Teacher Joe Toth and the Student Leadership Class at Smithtown High School East, along with Mickey’s Ice Cream Kitchen in St. James, to launch “A Scoop for Love,” a creative, community-based marketing campaign designed to help long-term residents of the Smithtown Animal Shelter find permanent homes.

Throughout the afternoon, students transformed ice cream pint cartons and to-go bags into colorful adoption messages filled with Valentine’s-themed designs and handwritten notes of encouragement. Special holiday stickers featuring Betty Boop — one of the shelter’s longest-waiting residents who has spent more than six years without a family — were placed on packaging. Additional stickers spotlighted fellow long-time residents Norman Rockwell and Sugar, allowing the adoption message to travel well beyond the counter and into households across the community.

Sticker printing for the campaign was donated by Mickey’s Ice Cream Kitchen founder Brendan Fleming, who opened his shop to support the student-led effort and the shelter’s mission of giving animals a second chance.

The day also featured a visit from Shiloh, a 2-year-old Rottweiler currently available for adoption at the Smithtown Animal Shelter. Shiloh greeted customers, enjoyed pup cups and drew plenty of attention from families stopping in — offering a real-time reminder of the animals the campaign hopes to help.

Town officials said the Valentine’s Day initiative is only the beginning of a broader, year-long student marketing project aimed at boosting shelter awareness. Planned efforts include TikTok campaigns, future adoption events and partnerships with local restaurants that would feature adoptable pets on pizza boxes and delivery packaging throughout the month.

Organizers described “A Scoop for Love” as a blend of student leadership, small-business partnership and grassroots marketing designed to shine a brighter spotlight on animals waiting the longest for homes.

At its core, the message behind the campaign is simple: sometimes the sweetest way to celebrate love is by helping it find its way home.