Marshall co-ed helping those who can’t help themselves

April 17, 2016

By Becky Holland

COLLEGE STATION – Kannan Reynolds, 18, has always been an animal person – especially dogs. The graduate of Harleton High School remembers the day that she and her family adopted their dog, Sadie, more than 11 years ago from the Marshall Animal Shelter.

“I can remember feeling a little sad and emotional as we were walking through the shelter and looking at the dogs, deciding which one we wanted … I wanted to take them all, but we couldn’t,” Kannan said. Sadie is a Lab. “It has not been easy with her, and we discovered things about her in time that probably came from her past.”

Sadie, according to Kannan, eats her food fast. “She was starved before we got it, and she is scared of men with facial hair.”

“We did go through some difficulties with Sadie,” Kannan said, “but you know, we remembered that dogs are not born to be bad or do bad thing…They are raised that way.”

“There are three kids, and Sadie’s the one who is the favorite in our family,” she laughed.

Kannan’s love for animals has carried over into volunteer work with the LEIAS, which stands for Leaders Excelling In Academics and Service, an all women organization whose service focuses on helping the animal community. LEIAS is full of female students from Texas A&M University in College Station.

Kannan is a kinesiology major, and has recently applied to nursing school.

The organization was started, Kannan said, “by twin sisters who wanted to do something that made a difference. There were organizations who were helping with children with cancer and other causes. They decided to join the fight to prevent animal abuse. “We started doing some volunteer work at some of the shelters in College Station.”

“There was a dog shelter in Beaumont that burned down,” Kannan said, “and we heard about, so we go involved.”

One of the ways they got involved was by talking to area businesses, including a law firm, called, Daniel Stark Law, P.C. “The law firm picks an organization in the community to help each month through social media. What they do is they give $2 for every new like their Facebook page gets to the organization. The LEIAs were chosen for April, and we will be giving the money we receive from their donation to the animal shelter in Beaumont,” Kannan said.

Kannan is asking her friends and fellow Harrison County neighbors to go and like the Daniel Stark Law P.C. Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/DanielStarkLaw).

The last day of the month of April will be the last day to like the page on Facebook.

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