If this dog could talk, perhaps this is what it would say to its new owner. Students in a North Star Montessori Academy classroom created special adoption cards for owner taking home their new pets from the Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare Shelter. (Photo courtesy of UPAWS)

MARQUETTE — Pets can’t verbally express their gratitude for being adopted from a shelter to their new parents, but one local school has made that task a little easier.

The Upper Peninsula Animal Welfare shelter expressed its appreciation to a North Star Montessori Academy classroom via Facebook.

“Our Youth Care!” its post began.

The shelter made note of the “nice thing for adopters” teacher Amy Jo Klas and her kindergarten/first-grade students created.

“The students made thank you cards that we give to adopters when they give a dog or cat or small critter a forever home,” UPAWS said. “Thank you students!”

Klas wanted to take on a project with UPAWS. So, she reached out to the shelter, which is located in Sands Township, and asked what her students could accomplish.

However, UPAWS came up with the cards idea.

“We spent a week just making cards, and we had art time — and they loved it,” Klas said. “They were so engrossed in it. They all love animals, so we looked at the different animals that UPAWS has available, and it was awesome.”

She noted the UPAWS project was a limited one, but the plan is for her students to make Christmas cards for local veterans this week.

One of her students particularly enjoyed the UPAWS card-making activity.

“It was fun and we got to draw fun pictures,” she said, with her card depicting a cat and a rainbow.

For more information on upaws.org and to see photographs of North Star’s project, visit upaws.org.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.