Wish comes true for Fergus teen

By Debbie Irmen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Saturday, May 10, 2008

A wish list, one boy’s desire to help and a mom who wanted to make two dreams come true, recently converged.

The result was the Otter Tail County Humane Society’s list of needs was met by one of its newest volunteers, Curtis Wirth, a student at Fergus Falls High School.

Wirth, 18, found he loved dogs when he moved to the home of Karen and Larry Trosdahl after a troubled childhood. He is a foster child through the Professional Association of Treatment Homes in Fergus Falls, which typically places kids who need a higher level of care, into homes around the region.

“I didn’t have any feelings,” Wirth said. “The dogs — and Karen — helped me find those feelings.”

“Mama Karen,” as she is known to her troupe of foster kids, has a home filled with dogs — pugs and Boston terriers — and Wirth found he liked playing with them. And he has a knack with them, according to Trosdahl.

“(Working with animals) is something I found I was good at,” Wirth said.

So he went to the Humane Society to see if he could put that skill to work for the pet shelter.

He now spends a few hours each day with the animals there, walking the dogs, cleaning up after them — which is not that exciting, he said — and playing with them.

After he started working at the Humane Society, he noticed the empty cupboards and saw a wish list of supplies needed by the facility and thought about how he could help.

“I talked to Karen and since we all love dogs, I asked if we could donate some of our allowance to get the needed items,” Wirth explained.

His idea caught on with other foster kids staying with the Trosdahls, and soon he had collected $70.

“Mama Karen pitched in another $330 to finish it up,” he said.

It took three trips to shop for the bags of puppy and dog chow, cat food for kittens and adult felines, kitty litter, laundry detergent, dog collars, leashes, blankets, puppy beds, pet shampoo, brushes, paper towels, toys and more.

“There were many bags of toys,” Wirth said. “The (house dogs) even donated some of their toys. I was surprised at how much (we donated).”

Sherri Obright, Humane Society manager, was also a little overwhelmed.

“It was kind of shocking and amazing,” she said. “It was a lot. People usually bring in a bag here or there.”

PATH Office Manager Kendra Lund said Wirth’s experience shows that under the right circumstances, kids want to do the right thing.

“People typically have a negative connotation of foster kids,” she said. “This shows a side of the kids people don’t see; and that with the right support they can make the right decisions.”

The ultimate result of his work with the Humane Society is he has a new career goal. Wirth, who was previously uncertain about his future, wants to be a veterinarian assistant.