Trevor graduated from Canton Intermediate School in June and heads this fall to Canton Middle School. Three of the seven sixth-grade classes in his school worked on the same assignment with topics such as Canton Land Development, Literacy in Hartford Public Schools, Saving The Rainforest, Child Labor Laws in Third World Nations, and Wetlands Destruction. Trevor's sixth-grade teacher was Tina Colangelo.

The students were asked to choose a social action subject and after researching and writing his report, Trevor developed three goals: educational, solidarity, and financial. Trevor designed and sold T-shirts to raise money for both the Connecticut Humane Society and the North Shore Animal League.

He presented a video to his class on the subject, and volunteered at the Avon Veterinary Clinic and the Coppers Hill Kennel in East Granby.

There are 65,000 abandoned animals in Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.

"This is a subject that needed some attention," said Trevor. "I feel better that I showed my classmates the issue. All along, our teacher was stressing that one person can make a difference."

Trevor and his family live in Canton and own a cat named Minou who was once abandoned. After researching about the widespread problem of abandoned animals, Trevor contacted the Connecticut Humane Society and the North Shore Animal League in Long Island, N.Y. He also wrote to State Rep. Kevin Witkos urging him to work on adopting Aug. 16 as Connecticut's Abandoned Animal Awareness Day. This would correspond with the National Homeless Animals Day on Aug. 16.

After no immediate response from Witkos, Trevor sent a second letter. During an awards ceremony at school within a few weeks, Witkos surprised Trevor with a State of Connecticut Proclamation naming Aug. 16 as the state's Abandoned Animal Awareness Day.

"Purchasing a cat or dog is a serious endeavor", said Joanne Pierce, Trevor's mom. "There is a responsibility to that animal that most people just don't understand. My son's research really opened my eyes to the how large a problem this is."