Animal lovers can now put their passion into action and make a difference in their community. Teachers Kelly Colaiacomo and Christopher Plummer sponsor PAWS, a club dedicated to assisting animals in need. Meetings take place every other Wednesday in room 1246, beginning at 2:45 p.m. and ending around 3:30.

“Our big focus is probably going to be the animals hurting from Hurricane Harvey,” Plummer said. “We can either support through donations or through supplies, or even socialization. That way they’re not just kept in crates and forgotten about.”

The club had a sponsor last year, but Colaiacomo and Plummer had to step in after the original sponsor left.

“When I saw that the club was not being sponsored, I thought, ‘that’s really an important club for our kids to get involved in,’” Colaiacomo said. “They need to understand – especially animal lovers – that there’s something they can do to help others. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be another person, it can be a four-legged person as well.”

So far, the club plans to hold supply drives and fundraisers as well as do volunteer work at shelters in the area.

“I’m selfish – I love animals,” Plummer said. “If we as two teachers love animals, we know there’s a bunch of kids that love animals too. And what better way to do some service than to help out those in need, especially after the hurricane?”

Members do not need to pay any fees, nor do they have to meet any specific requirements to participate.

“The biggest thing is letting everyone know we’re not an exclusive club,” Plummer said. “Anybody can come join. Everyone seems to have some kind of connection with pets, and it doesn’t have to be dogs or cats, it can be exotic as well. It’s all about service to our four-legged friends.”

An informational meeting took place on September 26, but the first official meeting will occur on October 4 in room 1246. Even if students miss this meeting, they can still join the club whenever possible.

“We wanna make sure kids know that they can sign up at any time,” Colaiacomo said. “There’s always gonna be a need when it comes to animals, and since they are unable to help themselves and there’s nothing they can do for their own situations, we can do that for them.”

Visit room 1246 for more details.