Between August and September,  Hurricane Harvey ravaged the state of Texas. Ranked as a Category 3 hurricane, Harvey  affected thousands of Houston residents and animals. Due to mandatory evacuation requirements, many were forced to leave their pets behind. Several cats and dogs were left abandoned, and many were injured in the storm.

A photo taken by a Daily Mail photographer, showing an abandoned dog tied to a telephone pole on the flooded streets of Texas circulated on social media and broken many hearts. Luckily, the photographer rescued the dog, and numerous animal shelters and common citizens worked towards rescuing the remaining pets affected by the hurricane.

Here at Abington High School, the Green Wave Gazette and Student Council teamed up to host a drive for Houston pets. Students and teachers were encouraged to donate items for cats and dogs, such as food, treats, leashes, collars, and toys. The items were collected during lunches and sent to Houston through the Paws New England organization, which is dedicated to rescuing abandoned pets from desperate situations and placing them in safe homes.

Victoria Donahue, Class of 2020, contributed to the drive by donating toys for the animals. When asked about her motivation behind donating, Donahue replied, “I currently have a pet and I’ve had three dogs in the past, so I think the fundraiser is great. I’m all for helping pets.”  Allison MacLeod, Class of 2019, donated a bag of dog food to the drive. “I have a dog at home and I love her very much, so I wanted to help other people’s pets as well,” said MacLeod. “I think the drive is a unique way to support the community of Houston after such a tragedy.”

Abington teachers and faculty members also contributed to the effort. Mrs. Crowley, the AHS librarian,  donated a bag of dog food. Mrs. Crowley stated that the drive was a “wonderful idea. We often think so much about the people, but in this hurricane, lots of  people stayed behind for their animals.”

The drive turned out to be an immense success. “I was very pleased with the amount of items that were donated!” said Ms. Gerhart, the Student Council advisor. She stated that the items were sent to Paws New England. Abington High is happy that their donations will be a huge help to the animal shelters in Houston.