Scoutstanding! Local Eagle Scout Nabs National Award for Helping Brooklyn’s Homeless Animals

For Immediate Release:
February 13, 2026

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

 For raising much-needed funds for his local animal shelter and educating his community about the importance of adopting, spaying and neutering, and providing comfort to animals in need, Brooklyn-native and recent Eagle Scout Honoree Zachary Rosenberg has earned a Hero to Animals Award from peta2, PETA’s youth division.

Zachary’s Eagle Scout project focused on raising awareness of the homeless animals in his community and educating his neighbors on how to be loving and responsible guardians. He shared valuable information about the challenges animal shelters face, including overcrowding, lack of supplies, limited funding, and simple ways families can show their support, such as donating or volunteering. He and his troop also held fundraisers for their local shelter, which helped provide food, litter, medicine, and other vital supplies. Zachary shares, “A major goal of the project was not just to raise money, but to encourage long-term community involvement and compassion toward animals.”

“Zachary took his love of animals and turned it into action, showing that all of us have the power to be a hero to animals,” says peta2 Vice President Rachelle Owen. “peta2 salutes Zachary for setting a shining example of compassion and stands ready to support anyone who wants to follow his lead and make a difference for animals.”

With millions of homeless dogs and cats in the U.S. at any given time, animal shelters across the country have been overwhelmed for years. peta2 reminds everyone to always adopt, never buy animals from breeders or pet stores, to never give animals as gifts, and always have companion animals spayed or neutered.

“One piece of advice I’d give to other young people who want to help animals is to be patient,” Zachary says. “The world’s issues are not going to disappear in the snap of a finger, so helping out takes patience and dedication.”

peta2—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers young people positive, empowering actions to help animals. For more information, please visit peta2.com or follow peta2 on TikTok or Instagram.