SAUGUS — Eddie’s Ranch, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit run by Lisa Mattuchio, is a home where senior dogs, specifically ones with disabilities, are given another chance. Now, with the help of Northeast Metro Tech, Mattuchio has a place to store all of her animal supplies.
Seventeen Northeast Metro Tech Carpentry students teamed up with instructors to construct the new storage shed for the Ranch, according to a press release from the school.
“I knew I needed a shed and somebody mentioned to me that a vocational school might be willing to do it,” Mattuchio said. “So I sent an email introducing myself and telling them about my rescue and that I’m a 501(c)(3) and asked if they would be willing to help me. They responded right away.”
She said that the school came to her house to check out the space and see what she was interested in doing.
“They came out and then they brought some students over and got to work. It was a wonderful gift,” Mattuchio said.
She continued that the shed would be filled with dog supplies, including pee pads, food, car seats, extra diapers and an extra set of wheels. Helping dogs who can’t walk has become a major part of the rescue, and those wheels play a significant role in getting them moving again.
“Over eight weeks, Carpentry instructors and 17 students built a 10-by-14-foot Gambrel-style storage shed for Eddie’s Ranch to help save Mattuchio from needing to buy one on her own. As an added bonus, students working on the project got to interact with the rescue animals living at Eddie’s Ranch,” said the release.
“Eddie’s Ranch is a place where animals can be free, safe, loved, and have a home,” said student Kevin Rodriguez, of Malden. “We saw a need and we had the skills to help. It’s as simple as that.”
Another student, Yeudiel Zelaya, of Chelsea, said, “Doing this job was an amazing experience for us. I was so happy and proud to do something for this amazing community.”
The release continued that students started the project by creating construction documents and making a list of materials they needed for the shed. Students then obtained lumber and built the shed from scratch, building the floor, walls and ceiling framing with a built-in loft for extra storage. Students then designed and built Gambrel-style roof trusses, and a custom-made double door with a ramp leading into the shed.
When asked what the dogs thought of all the extra people around, Mattuchio said, “Oh my God, they loved it. At first, they barked at all the kids, and then they got used to them being there, and I can tell you the kids absolutely loved having the dogs outside with them.”
She said that she is “extremely grateful” for Northeast Metro Tech and the students for the work they all did.
“This was a rewarding project that involved both junior and senior students, and which will benefit the animals at Eddie’s Ranch for years to come,” Superintendent DiBarri said. “I am proud of our students for their fine craftsmanship, but also for their caring and community spirit. This is exactly the type of community support and involvement that we love to see from our students here at Northeast Metro Tech.”
Students who participated in the project are Nathan Blauvelt, of Stoneham; Pedro Luis Rodriguez, of Revere; Isaac Fernandes, of Malden; Makayla Bellavance, of North Reading; Matthew Case, of Revere; Antonio Gasbaro, of Woburn; Shane Comeiro, of Woburn; Kimberly Juarez, of Chelsea; Bryan Aguirre Lemus, of Revere; Samuel Villanueva Portillo, of Chelsea; Cory Pleitez, of Chelsea; Yoselin Martinez Santamaria, of Chelsea; Destiny Faith Shaw, of Winthrop; Joseph Kohanski, of Saugus; Vayron Orellana, of Malden; Lindsay Dabrillo, of North Reading; Daniel Escobar, of Revere; Yeudiel Zelaya, of Chelsea, and Kevin Rodriguez, of Malden.
If you’re looking to help out Eddie’s Ranch, Mattuchio is always looking for supplies to be donated, especially pee pads, dog food, cat litter and cat food. She stated that oftentimes she finds donations left on her doorstep.
“I am always looking for foster homes… People who can open their homes if they are local and able,” she said.
For more information about the Ranch and to make a monetary donation, you can go to eddieonwheels.com. There, you can also find an adoption form to fill out or a place to contact Mattuchio if interested in being a foster home.
