Whiz Kid - Meet Jillian Yagoda

Practically from the time she learned to talk, Jillian Yagoda has been saying she wants to be a veterinarian.

And, in the interim until the seventh-grader reaches her almost lifelong goal, she is biding her time volunteering at WAGS Rescue and Referral and working to ensure the safety of pets everywhere.

Drawing from an idea she had in fourth-grade Jillian, 12, of Horsham, recently designed and – with funding from her mother - printed 250 pet emergency decals that homeowners can buy and place on front and rear doors to notify first responders that pets live in the residence.

“I thought about my own pets and what would happen to them,” Jillian said of her dog, a Springer spaniel named Chase, and Jamie, her guinea pig. 

“We were drawing and erasing and scribbling,” Jillian said of her effort making the window clings.

So far, Jillian has raised more than $400 from the sale of roughly 80 decals, which sell for $5 each or two for $8. Horsham Police Lt. Jon Clark is taking orders at the police department and passing along the buyer’s information to Jillian.

“I just thought it was nice and I thought I’d help,” Clark said. “It’s very refreshing to see a young seventh-grader involved in such a good project.”

With little more than word-of-mouth promotion, and a blog that Jillian started, Clark said he’s gotten about a dozen requests so far – some from as far away as New York. 

“It’s out there,” Clark said of Jillian’s pet emergency decal.

Proceeds from the decal sales will benefit WAGS and The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

“I have always wanted to help animals in need,” Jillian writes in her blog. “I realized how many animals don’t have homes and are in need of medicine and food. I wanted to come up with a way to raise money for WAGS and the ASPCA and decided that designing and selling the pet emergency window decals would be the perfect way to help them.”