AS NATIONAL Honor Society members started donating items to make dog treats, Jasleen Duran (12) and Marian Ali (‘26) guided members on how to prepare them. As they helped out, members began doing their part to make the treats. All members who volunteered are greatly appreciated by the workers at the West Valley Animal Shelter for their support.

“As the presidency, we just put it all together and invited all the members to come and make it,” Duran said. “All of our members donated all the food materials, such as peanut butter, applesauce, pumpkin, oats, bananas, and more.”

When the presidency announced that help was needed, several members stepped up and made the process run smoothly. Making dog treats for the dogs at the West Valley Animal Services gave members a chance to get creative with shapes, which helps dogs with their chewing skills and encourages picky eaters.

“Making dog treats was actually pretty fun,” Yareli Tapia (‘26) said. “The process was easier than I expected; it was mostly just mixing ingredients together and shaping them. The dogs always love them, and I’m glad our group was able to make their day.”

NHS members are making a positive impact on both people and animals, helping shelter dogs who do not always get special treats. Creating these treats also helps members recognize the importance of their community service. In addition to providing food, the treats can be used by shelter workers for training.

“I think the dog treats do help the animal shelter because it’ll be easier for them to train them with that as rewards, and the dogs love the treats,” Joseline Moreno (12) said. “I think it’s so important that we do things like this because it makes the workers’ lives easier and makes the puppies happy.”

NHS support has helped shelter employees work more efficiently, and Granger High School students are stepping up to assist. While making the treats, members also strengthened their friendships by spending quality time together for a good cause.

“We try to encourage members to donate as much as they can, and whatever we don’t have, we use some money from the budget to buy the rest,” Ali said. “We try to notify members as early as possible so that we can gather resources. Then, we lay out the materials and mix all the ingredients to make the treats. It’s a really fun activity that brings people together to give the shelter more resources.”