By Richard L. Gaw

Staff Writer

Two years ago, the members of the Kleman family in Landenberg assessed that their then 11-year-old dog Freckles was lonely and needed a companion.

They began to search through dog adoption service websites and found one – To Love a Canine Rescue– and found a dog whose photograph was made even more special because of a bright red scarf it was wearing around its collar.

It was the scarf that did it for Will Kleman. Soon, the dog came home with the family, and today, that dog is named Ace and is now in charge of being a companion to Freckles, now 13.

“I then came up with the idea that if all animals, like Ace, had something that would get them noticed, more people would adopt dogs and cats,” said Kleman, 17, who will be entering his senior year at Kennett High School this fall.

Together with his classmates Gavin Seele, 16, and his brother Cooper Seele, 15, Kleman launched the PetSEEN Project in February that creates custom pet bandanas that pet rescue agencies can use in pet photos in the hopes that a touch of color and pizzazz could lead to increased attention – and hopefully, adoption.

The project’s slogan is Be Seen. Get Adopted, and so far, the new organization has made and distributed over 100 bandanas to pet adoption agencies in Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York and Maryland. While Kleman and the Seeles have been marketing their idea, Kleman’s grandmother Sue Jacobs makes each bandana by hand, using various colors of fabric – all of which include the PetSEEN brand name.

“We know that some agencies have begun to use our bandanas in their rescue animal photographs, and once the pandemic is over and everything opens back up, we suspect that even more agencies will be using them,” Kleman said. “Hopefully we’ll continue to get our product into the hands of more agencies, so that more animals can be seen. Ultimately, we’d like to create a one-for-one company, where someone will purchase one of our bandanas, and in turn, we’ll donate a bandana.”

If you or a pet adoption agency you know of is looking for additional information about the PetSEEN Project, visit petseenproject on Instagram, or call 302-753-5588.

To contact Staff Writer Richard L. Gaw, email [email protected].