Moscow students come through for humane society

Moscow Middle School students answered the call when they were asked to help out the community’s furry friends this week.

As part of a school-wide community service project, the students donated hundreds of pet-friendly supplies to the Humane Society of the Palouse on Friday.

Boxes of food, blankets, toys, collars, beds, hygiene products and other items were delivered to the Humane Society where they were received by a grateful staff.

“It’s incredible to have such a great community, but to have such a young great community that’s interested in helping the animals, too,” said Humane Society of the Palouse Shelter Director Sierah Beeler.

Moscow Middle School teacher Kari Golightly said each student made at least one cat toy, which amounted to 600 toys total. Seventh grader Sarah Niehenke said the toys were made out of pipe cleaners and bells. She and fellow seventh grader Charli Yopp researched cat toys online and gave a presentation to their classmates on how to make them.

The school also held a pet supply drive where students collected the other items. Golightly said this is one of several projects the school planned this year to give back to Moscow. Niehenke said the school in December donated 600 holiday cards to nursing homes, first responders and other members of the community.

Moscow Middle School eighth grader Joshua Anderson said the pet supply drive allowed students and their families to do something useful with items that “would have probably been thrown away.” Anderson himself had plenty of supplies to donate that were left over from when he had pets.

Yopp and Niehenke both have pets, which made the project special to them.

“I know how much my pets mean to me,” Yopp said.

Beeler said many of the donated items, such as pet food, will stock up the Humane Society’s pet supply pantry, which is available to the community for free. The rest will go directly to the animals living in the shelter.

“As a nonprofit we can’t spend a whole lot of money on the enrichment part of things, so when the community does that for us, it’s incredible because then it gives all of our animals an easy stay while they’re with us and making sure they’re comfortable until they get a home,” Beeler said.

Beeler said the community will have another opportunity to support the Humane Society of the Palouse during its Soup and Pie Luncheon on Monday. This fundraiser will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the 1912 Center in Moscow.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.