After someone had the audacity to steal a donation box filled with cash, designated to help homeless animals at the Anne Arundel County Animal Control and Shelter, people in the community were astounded.

Alex Seidleck (16) read about the incident online and felt the call to help.

The Indian Creek Upper School student shared, “…I was scrolling through my phone and I saw an article on the Annapolis Patch about a cash donation box that was meant to help animals in a homeless shelter that was stolen from a liquor store. It really bothered me that someone could be so cruel and selfish that they would steal from animals who have no home, no family and basically nothing at all.”

Alex, who was always taught by his parents that “there are more good people in this world that there are bad,” was struggling to find the positive outlook, and knew he had to do something.

“The next day I mentioned the article to my Mom, and she asked me what I thought I should do since she could tell I was really frustrated and angered by it. I told her I wished I had the money so I could pay it back myself and that was what gave me the idea of trying to start a fundraiser. I have never done anything like this before, so I did not know if it would work. At first, I couldn’t believe it when people responded and started donating,” Alex shared.

The call for donations started with Alex hitting up businesses about his idea to collect donations, but none would allow him to set up additional donation boxes.

That’s when the teen turned to GoFundMe to plead for monetary gifts for the animals.

On the GoFundMe page, Alex pleaded, “If you are as outraged as I am to hear that someone in our community would stoop so low to steal from an organization that takes care of thousands of homeless animals and whose source of income is based primarily from donations from the GOOD PEOPLE in this world, please make whatever donation you can to help me right this wrong.”

Friends, family, and even Alex’s baseball teammates pitched in with their donations . . . and then complete strangers in the community caught wind of the fundraising efforts and joined in to help as well.

Alex met his goal of $500 when donations were still coming in, and was able to present Lisa Ingram, president of Friends of Anne Arundel County Animal Care & Control, with the $650 he’d raised.

The family is also moving forward to adopt a rescue dog from the very shelter Alex leaned in to help.

(MSN)