VYPE St. Pius X June 2022

[ F O R B U S T E R ! ] SPX rugby saves stray dog, becomes a par t of team

\\ By S t . P i u s X Commu n i c a t i o n s

suppor t as the boys wanted to get him medical attention. “ They took him to a 24-hour hospital , got his wounds taken care of, and then again worked with the Animal Justice League for guidance on fostering.” The St . Pius X rugby team instantly fell in love with “Buster ” as they named him. Stringfellow and his family immediately took Buster in and star ted taking care of the dog. As the 2022 rugby season progressed, Buster became a mainstay on the sidelines for the Panthers. The team would chant “For Buster ” before games and initiated him as the official team mascot . Buster quickly won the hear ts of many in the Houston community and became a local celebrity in the St . Pius X High School community. “It ’s really special ,” Hayden Llorens ref lects. “He’s a f ighter. We’re f ighters, so we are all just trying to stay in the f ight and win.”

AS THE ST. PIUS X RUGBY TEAM PRACTICED AT A PARK IN APRIL, THEY ENCOUNTERED A STRAY DOG. IT WAS APPARENT THAT IT DIDN’ T HAVE A HOME AND LOOKING FOR FOOD. “He’s dirty, we saw him but he was friendly with us right away,” Grant Stringfellow said. After playing with the dog for a shor t while, the rugby team watched as it wandered into a nearby yard, where two other dogs chained in the yard began to get aggressive. The Panthers’ rugby players watched as all-of-a-sudden the dog began to be attacked by the other dogs and they stepped in. Burke Battenfield contacted his sister, who works with the Animal Justice League. “ This is a volunteer-driven organization which helps address fostering for dogs and cats,” said Maggie Munyon, Director of Communications for St Pius X High School. “ They got a hold of them and they helped provide guidance and