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typical 10-year-old might ask for a bike or a Barbie doll for her
birthday.
Caridad Dieppa isn’t typical.
When Caridad invited friends to her birthday
party Saturday at the YMCA’S pool at the Lebanon VA Medical
Center, she asked that they bring her something extra special.
“This year I asked everybody to get dog
food and cat food for animals at the Humane Society (of Lebanon
County),” Caridad said while taking a brief break from her
party.
Caridad is an animal lover; she has been as
long as she can remember.
“I have a little dog,” she said. “His
name is Pancho, and he’s 4 years old.”
Caridad said that she loves to watch Animal
Planet with her mom, Gissett, at their Lebanon home. It was while
they were checking out their favorite channel that Caridad came up
with her grand birthday idea.
“We were watching a documentary about
animal shelters, and she was just like, ‘Wow, I wish there was
something I could do,’” Gissett said.
Caridad’s father, Hector, said he is proud
of his daughter.
“It was intriguing to me. I would have
never thought to do anything like that when I was 10. I couldn’t
believe it. I actually had to ask her twice to make sure I heard
what I thought I heard,” he said.
With most of the guests at the party
Saturday afternoon, Caridad said, she had collected about 10 bags
of dog and cat food as well as some other odds and ends, such as
leashes. Some guests had also made cash donations to the Humane
Society.
Caridad said she plans to stick with her
love of animals in the future by becoming a veterinarian.
As for her generosity, she doesn’t see
what all the fuss is about.
“I only have one room,” she explained.
“I don’t have a lot of space for any more toys.”
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