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MUSCATINE, Iowa — Three West Middle School students were out early Saturday morning to help the canine and feline residents of the Nancy E. Kent Animal Shelter in Muscatine.

The boys, Jamie Sprague, Eren Serpen and Kadin Brewer, all of Muscatine, were collecting donations for the Muscatine Humane Society. They were set up outside First Presbyterian Church, 401 Iowa Ave. from 8 a.m. until noon.

By mid-morning, generous donors had dropped off bags of dog food, toys, paper towels, canned dog food and cleaning supplies.

"We were doing a project for school and we had to study a charity. We decided to do the Humane Society. It inspired us to do a drive to get donations for the Humane Society. You don't know it, but these human societies are struggling. It is difficult for them to get supplies because they are already busy taking care of the animals themselves," Sprague, 13, said.

Serpen, 13, stood on the corner of Fourth and Iowa waiving a sign to draw attention to the event.

"I feel pretty good. There's lots of animals at the shelter and it's just nice to think that they have food and toys," he said.

Picking the Humane Society for their project was an easy decision, Brewer, 12, said.