A 4-year-old boy from Norman just handed over $1,300 to the animal shelter that gave his family a dog and several barn cats — and he raised most of it selling t-shirts for a donut shop that doesn't actually exist. Leo Hartman dreamed up the imaginary Old Western Town Donut Shop, printed the logo on shirts, and sold enough of them to bring in $900. First Fidelity Bank gave Leo a $400 Pay It 4Ward award, which he donated to Norman Animal Welfare, bringing the total donation to $1,300.
The story first surfaced in KFOR.com's Pay It 4Ward segment, which detailed how Leo, who lives on a farm in Norman with his parents and siblings Eliza, 3, and James, 7, has been an animal lover since the family adopted a dog named Abby and several barn cats from the shelter. According to the outlet, Leo's family is taking orders for the donut shop shirts for one more week before closing out the fundraiser. First Fidelity Bank gave Leo the $400 Pay It 4Ward award, which he donated to the shelter; the bank has sponsored the program since KFOR launched it in 1995, according to First Fidelity Bank.
Norman Animal Welfare manager Kellee Robertson said Leo's gesture left an impression on shelter staff. “Thank you so much, Leo!” Robertson told KFOR, adding that his idea showed he may grow up to be an amazing human being. The shelter reportedly hosted a real-donut party for Leo to celebrate the donation, gave him animal snuggles, and sent him home with a shirt and hat of his own. Leo's family also gifted staff Creole Garlic Salt from their own venture, Coyote Ridge Farm, during the donation visit, according to the Norman Animal Welfare Facebook page.
Where the Money Is Going
The timing lines up with a specific need at the shelter. Norman Animal Welfare has a soon-to-be-built dog park for shelter animals, according to KFOR. That project is separate from the city's existing off-leash spot, the Norman Community Dog Park at Griffin Park, which operates under city parks department rules, as detailed by MetroFamily Magazine.
KFOR also reported one happy postscript: a cat named Pixie, featured during the original interview, was adopted shortly after the segment aired. Leo's own donation arrives on the heels of the Oklahoma Mega Adoption Event sponsored by Best Friends Animal Society, during which Norman Animal Welfare waived all adoption fees and placed 63 animals into permanent homes over a single week in August, according to the shelter's Facebook page.
A Shelter That Punches Above Its Size
Norman Animal Welfare operates out of a 13,246-square-foot facility at 3428 S. Jenkins Ave. that opened in 2016 after Norman voters approved a municipal bond in 2011, per the City of Norman. The shelter provides holding space for lost pets and public adoptions, the city says. Standard adoptions run $50 per animal, a fee that covers spay or neuter surgery, vaccinations, de-worming, and heartworm testing for dogs.
That operation has reported a live-release rate above 90 percent, according to the City of Norman. The broader metro provides a point of comparison, although the available sources do not establish comparable population figures.
Leo's fundraiser follows other Pay It 4Ward recipients recognized by KFOR and First Fidelity Bank, including a $17K free AC system given to an Oklahoma veteran. It also adds to other animal welfare coverage in Norman, from a pig rescued from a backyard pool to the shelter's own activities.
