12岁生日和朋友们一起在当地的动物收容所做志愿者来庆祝

12-year-old celebrates best birthday ever by volunteering with friends at the local shelter

12岁生日和朋友们一起在当地的动物收容所做志愿者来庆祝

There was no question how Jack Hallock was going to spend his birthday. The 12-year-old had been waiting somewhat impatiently for the chance to volunteer at Best Friends Lifesaving Center in Atlanta but he just wasn't old enough. Volunteers have to be at least 12 to help out at the facility.

杰克·哈洛克很清楚要怎样过他的生日。这个12岁的小男孩一直在焦急地等待着成为亚特兰大最好朋友救生中心的志愿者，但他实在是太年轻了。志愿者必须至少12岁才能在设施中提供帮助。

Jack (bottom right, in orange) and his friends show some love to one of the shelter dogs at the Best Friends shelter. (Photo: Jayne Hallock)

When asked why he chose to spend his birthday at the shelter instead of having a big blowout party, Jack told MNN, "Because I feel bad for the animals and I want them to have a better home."

当被问及为什么选择在动物收容所度过生日而不是举办一场盛大的庆生派对时，杰克告诉MNN，“因为我为动物们感到难过，我希望它们有一个更好的家。”

A long-time animal lover

长期的动物爱好者

Jack with Professor Peanut, one of his family's two rescue dogs. (Photo: Jayne Hallock)

Caring for animals is nothing new for Jack. He's been sensitive to animals and their plight for as long as his family can remember. Jack says the turning point was when he was 5 years old.

照顾动物对杰克来说并不是什么新鲜事。从他的家人记事起，他就对动物及其困境很敏感。杰克说转折点是在他5岁的时候。

"I really missed dogs and knew I had a lot of love to offer, so I began to volunteer and help how I could," she say. "I didn't do much but I tried to make a difference where I could. Jack, who was 8 at the time, kept asking where I was going and when I told him, he wanted to join me. He just wasn't old enough yet."

她说:“我真的很想念狗，我知道我有很多爱可以奉献，所以我开始做志愿者，尽我所能帮助它们。”“我没做什么，但我试着在力所能及的地方做出改变。当时8岁的杰克不停地问我要去哪里，当我告诉他时，他想和我一起去。他只是还不够大。”

The wait is over

等待结束了

Jack and his friends present a $700 check to Best Friends. (Photo: Jayne Hallock)

After waiting all those years for the chance to volunteer, Jack showed up for this birthday event with six friends and an impressive check for $700.

等了这么多年才有机会当志愿者，杰克终于和六个朋友一起参加了这个生日活动，并得到了一张令人印象深刻的700美元的支票。

He said his friends were eager to come along.

他说他的朋友们很想一起来。

"I was worried they were going to think it was boring, but they really thought it was cool," he says. "Their favorite parts were playing with the dogs and cats."

“我担心他们会认为这很无聊，但他们真的认为这很酷，”他说。“他们最喜欢的部分就是和猫狗玩耍。”

Jack fills up dog toys with peanut butter on his birthday. (Photo: Jayne Hallock)

Now, Jack plans to try to volunteer every Sunday at the shelter for a few hours with his mom.

现在，杰克计划每周日都和妈妈一起在收容所做几个小时的志愿者。

The family now has two rescue dogs of their own — Professor Peanut and Bongo. When Jack isn't at school or playing with his dogs, he also likes to draw and make felt animals. You can see some of his drawings on Instagram.

这个家庭现在有两只属于他们自己的搜救犬——皮纳特教授和邦戈。当杰克不上学或和他的狗玩的时候，他也喜欢画画和做动物。你可以在Instagram上看到他的一些画。

'A force of nature'

自然的力量

Jack hangs out with a dog named Shortstack on his first official day volunteering. There will be many more. (Photo: Jayne Hollack)

"We're pretty OK humans and parents but man, Jack is a force of nature. He's like an alien dropped into our family, with more willpower and compassion and stubbornness than most adults I know," she says.

“作为人类和父母，我们都很好，但是伙计，杰克是大自然的力量。他就像一个闯入我们家的外星人，比我认识的大多数成年人都更有毅力、更有同情心、更固执。”

"He's extremely empathetic and angry about animal abuse and is willing to put his action beyond his philosophies. Jack tells me he remembers 'how delicious' cheeseburgers and hot dogs are, but he is resisting the temptation because he doesn't want to hurt animals. We tell him regularly that kids can teach grownups just as much as grownups teach children."

“他对虐待动物的行为极为同情和愤怒，愿意将自己的行为置于哲学之外。杰克告诉我，他记得奶酪汉堡和热狗是多么美味，但他抵制住了诱惑，因为他不想伤害动物。我们经常告诉他，孩子可以教大人，就像大人可以教孩子一样。”