Kyle Maciolek loves animals. So it made sense that his Eagle Scout project should benefit a group like the Humane Society.

Nearly a year ago, the 18-year-old thought it over and decided to build five doghouses for the organization. His Scoutmaster said no at first because it would have been too easy.

“OK,” Maciolek said. “How about 25?”

After approval, Maciolek got to work. Like other Eagle Scout prospects, his charge was to complete a major community-based undertaking in order to obtain the coveted rank.

Just weeks ago, he put the final coat of yellow paint on the 25th doghouse.

Maciolek said he’d built birdhouses before, but doghouses were a different story.

“All summer long, I would wake up in the morning, and it was crazy hot outside this summer,” Maciolek said. “I just worked my butt off until the sun basically set.”

When he heard about the project, father Mike Maciolek was impressed at his son’s ambition, but a little skeptical.

“I got to thinking about it, and I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, what did he get himself into?’ Twenty-five doghouses ... now that’s a lot of doghouses.”

An Eagle Scout himself, Mike Maciolek knew it was a tough task.

“What he did really impressed me,” he said.

Kay Harris was impressed too, and appreciative.

“It was a really, really sweet thing that he did,” said Harris, director of the Dawson County Humane Society. “Hopefully it helps him earn his Eagle badge too, so everybody wins.”

Maciolek goes before the Eagle Scout review board at the end of September. If it feels his project held enough merit, he will be awarded the rank of Eagle Scout.

His father is hopeful.

“This was significantly more involved than most other projects I’ve seen,” he said.

The toughest aspect was finding supplies, the younger Maciolek said.

As a condition of his project, he had to use donated materials.

“Since the economy was not so good, a lot of lumber yards were not able to donate,” he said. “I went everywhere for lumber and finally found a few businesses willing to help.”

The businesses provided most of the materials needed to complete the project.

Some of the completed doghouses were used by the humane society for its animals, while others are for sale to benefit the organization.