For a young man working on acquiring the rank of Eagle Scout who loves cats and dogs, there is no better community service project than one that benefits animals in need.

For his required Eagle Scout project, Raul "Bubba" Laguna, a member of Parkesburg Troop 135, held a pet food drive for the Brandywine Valley SPCA.

Laguna, 17, a senior at Avon Grove Charter School, collected food at Tractor Supply in Parkesburg and at Pet Supplies Plus in Avondale for three consecutive Sundays - Oct. 27, Nov. 3 and Nov. 10 - from 12:30 to 5 p.m.

Shoppers were offered a list of items most needed by the SPCA as they entered the stores, and Laguna collected donations as shoppers exited the stores. During the collection drives, he divided his time between the two locations and he was accompanied by his friends, fellow Scouts and Scoutmaster Russell Bishop. Laguna provided water and snacks to the volunteers.

"I wasn't sure about what to do (for my project), but I wanted to do something that had to do with animals. I decided I wanted to do a food drive," said Laguna, who has two pet cats and a dog.

Prior to the collection drives, Laguna visited the West Chester campus to learn about the needs of the SPCA. "I proposed the idea and asked them if they would be willing to accept the donations," he stated. "They did not want leashes or dog bedding, but they are in need of food."

He also visited several other stores to see if they were interested in being a donation site. "I talked with the general managers about if I could come on their property and set up a stand outside," he said.

He said he chose the Parkesburg store because the troop's sponsor is Parkesburg VFW Post 4480. He chose the southern Chester County location because it is near his home.

For the first weekend, people donated about a half ton of items, which included 781 pounds of dog food and 204 pounds of cat food. The items are currently being stored in a sealed trailer.

Laguna will turn 18 in December, so he must complete all his Eagle Scout paperwork prior to that. "I have been doing Scouts since I was 5," he said. "I think (Scouting) teaches you a lot (about) ethics and morals. It also gives you a bunch of skills ... that come in handy."

Laguna plans to deliver the food directly to the SPCA later this month and then complete his Eagle Scout paperwork, which will eventually be submitted to the Chester County Boy Scout Council. "The planning was a lot of work; the (collection) was the easy part," he shared. "I will take all of the paperwork to our adviser, and he will give it a last (check)." His Eagle Court of Honor Ceremony will take place at the VFW.

Following graduation, Laguna hopes to study business with a possible career in the restaurant industry. "I am looking to have an internship with my father (Raul), who works as an auto technician, and another internship with my mom (Gardenia), who is a general manager of a Mexican restaurant. When I was a little younger, my mom got me (a job) as a busboy, and I fell in love with the way a restaurant works," he stated. "I want to have a business degree and (maybe) open a restaurant."

While Laguna's pet food drive is over, he encourages people to bring donations directly to the SPCA, located at 1212 Phoenixville Pike, West Chester. The SPCA operates a pet food pantry, distributing food to people struggling to feed their pets. Donations are always needed to keep the pantry shelves stocked. To learn more, visit https://bvspca.org.