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Six weeks after a devastating fire at Lily's Play-and-Stay claimed the life of 17-year-old Gidget, the dog daycare is rebuilding with help from an unexpected source: local high school students.
RELATED | Community rallies to help Belton dog daycare after fire killed 1 dog, 17 others rescued
The December fire broke out in a room at the Belton facility, forcing owner Amy Klein to confront every pet owner's worst nightmare.
"It sucks. There's no other way that I can put it," Klein said. "Every range of emotions we could feel, we've felt it."
As the initial shock wore off, community support began pouring in. Among those lending a hand is Connor Stookey, a senior in the Academies of Belton program.
The Belton School District program offers students specialized fields of study to prepare them for success after graduation.
Stookey is working in construction as part of the program, gaining hands-on experience while helping Klein rebuild her business.
"I think the more I do this, the better knowledge I get," Stookey said.
The partnership addresses a critical need in the construction industry. According to the Associated General Contractors of America, over half of firms reported more than 70% of candidates in 2025 were unqualified for hire across seven key positions, including mechanics, iron workers, electricians, heavy equipment operators, superintendents, estimating personnel, and project managers or supervisors.
Scott Sisemore, who leads Belton's Academies program, sees the collaboration as essential for student success.
"We need to provide a pathway of success for every one of our students," Sisemore said. "We hope [we] will encourage them to stay here if they leave and come back, start a business and be a part of their community."
The program is so committed to giving students real-world experience that senior video production intern Nazier Kinney helped shoot this story.
For Stookey, the work represents more than just gaining construction skills — it's about helping a community member recover from tragedy.
"I think it's a good feeling getting this place back and running again, after what happened," Stookey said.
Klein said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming in the best possible way.
"I didn't know we had [this] type of support behind us until something like this magnitude has happened," Klein said.
The Academies of Belton program is looking to expand to elementary and middle school students.
According to Sisemore, elementary students will get more exposure to a multitude of industries to prepare them for a career selection one day. In middle school, they are working with nonprofits to learn more about how those organizations operate.
Belton Middle School was working with Lily's Rescue Rehab, Klein's nonprofit, before the fire hit her downtown business. That partnership is on hold for now.
The construction program also recently finished working on a new downtown business, Battle Axes on Main.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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