While surfing the internet the other day, I came across a wonderful discovery.

A shelter in Florida sorts their dogs, not by breed, but by Hogwarts house.

And it’s not a random sorting, either. They wait until the pups are at least 6 months old to sort them based on their personalities when playing with toys and each other.

Can you imagine something more heartwarming? I know I want to adopt a HuffleFluff!

The love between people and dogs is ageless and easy to see. Movies, songs, books and social media often have themes revolving entirely around the love of people and their furry family mates.

It’s a love that wins awards in the arts and a love that, studies show, improve the lives of the folks who have it.

Many of us can remember our first fluffy friend and the loss of a family pet is a devastation many can identify with.

We would do anything for our beloved friends. I know I would! I hope that you are willing to as well.

This is a call to action to help protect our dear furry friends at the Brookings Humane Society.

Those of you paying attention to local news already know what I’m talking about.

For those of you out of the loop, here’s a quick summary: The Brookings Humane Society, which takes in family-less animals from all around the county, half of whom are brought in by animal control and in desperate need of love and medical care, is in financial crisis.

The loss of their founder, Rose Davidson, has left a void that is proving more than difficult to fill.

The Society will be unable to stay open past November unless something dramatic happens.

I’m calling on us to be that dramatic something.

But what can we do?

We’re college students and we don’t have much in the way of money to donate. Not true!

We can offer so much more than you may realize. Do you have HyVee receipts floating around? Donate them!

Spare time to offer? Use it to walk the pups!

A computer with email and a letter writing skill pounded into you by the excessive English classes you’ve taken in your school career?

Write a letter to the editor at the Brooking Register expressing how important it is to you that the Humane Society stay open.

Better yet, write a letter to each of the City Council members and ask that they do whatever they can to save our furry friends’ sanctuary while they wait for a fur-ever home!

I want to emphasize the last one there, writing our City Council.

You see, the City Council awards the Humane Society an annual grant to help them stay open, but this year they cut the amount of funding.

That’s right, your city-elected officials underfunded the group that saves our beloved furry family members.

If we all write them a letter letting them know how we feel, that we want to see the Humane Society survive, they just might change their minds about that choice and get the Society the funding they need to stay open.

It’s worth a shot and the more letters (do be polite) the better.

Who can abandon those sad puppy eyes?

Not me, that’s for sure. And I hope that you feel the same.

Chris Hartzler is a Brookings resident and can be reached at [email protected].