While walking around school, one might notice posters featuring “Pets of the Week.” These posters spotlight a few of the many animals that need homes at the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County. Their mission is to provide shelter, food and medical care to injured, neglected and abused animals.

This year, sophomore Abby O’Guin created the Humane Society Club that works with the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County to encourage people to adopt abandoned animals and pets.

“I established and organized the club because the Humane Society of Memphis and Shelby County have been saving the lives of so many animals, and I thought this was a good way to help them out,” O’Guin (10) said.

The process to organize the club was fairly simple. All O’Guin had to do was fill out a club form and find a sponsor. She asked her former physical science teacher Jennifer Patterson, who herself has a deep love for animals.

The club fundraises money that goes towards the Humane Society by holding coin drives each month during all lunches. Additionally, there is a donation box outside the main office designated for blankets, pet food, and toys.

“Our mission is to raise $2,500 by the end of the school year so we can write a check to the Humane Society,” Darya Orgil (10) said.

As an incentive, members are rewarded “points” depending on how many club activities in which they participate. Active members who have accumulated at least 10 points are awarded attendance to the puppy party at the end of the year, which is an event where they play with puppies at the shelter.

All of the New Humane Society Club activities serve one purpose: aid the Humane Society in finding homes for shelter animals.  

“There are way too many abandoned and neglected animals dumped at our local shelters,” Patterson said. “There is no way these facilities can care for all of these abandoned animals, so far too many are put to sleep. Adoption saves lives.”