Wine and Dine with Cats and Dogs

The held its second annual Whiskers and Wine fundraiser on Saturday.

The shelter’s fundraiser, organized by Teaching Everyone Animals Matter (TEAM), raised money for foster care supplies and special medical care for injured and ill animals.

“This event is very important because proceeds go directly towards the animals themselves from this event,” said Dave Dickinson, interim shelter director.

The organizers of the event hoped to exceed last year’s proceeds of $17,000. More tables and chairs were added this year, in addition to adding an extra hour to the event.

TEAM board member Kim Dahl said the event took four to six months to organize and required a lot of volunteers and committees. A lot of time was spent on collecting prizes and promoting the event, she said.

Attendees at the event were given a barbecue dinner and wine tasting while being able to roam the facility and see the animals at the shelter. There was also a raffle and silent auction, including big items like a one-week stay at a vacation home in Cabo San Lucas, a 42-inch flat screen television, and a wine limo trip.

“The goal is for people to look at this fine new facility,” Dickinson said. “We need all support from the community so we can continue to keep going strong and keep doing all of the work for the community.”

Dahl said fundraisers such as the Whiskers and Wine event are huge for the shelter, but echoed what Dickinson said about the importance of bringing people into the facility.

“In spite of money raised, it continues to put the shelter in the eyes of people and what goes on here,” Dahl said. “It puts it into a new light.”

It was estimated that at least 500 people would be at the event.

Angela Tanner, an employee at nearby , said she attended the event to support “her neighbor” and hopes to partner with the shelter for future events.

“I love the new facility,” Tanner said. “I hope it gets a lot of support. It’s good for our community.”

Tanner complimented the items listed in the auction and said she bid on several.

VCA Veterinarian David Herman also said he came to support the shelter.

“A huge issue is the spay and neuter services they provide and taking care of strays and giving them a nice home,” Herman said.

Sherry Berjerom said she was invited to attend the event by one of the shelter volunteers, and that she liked its relaxed atmosphere.

“Every city should have a shelter,” Berjerom said. “I didn’t know anything about this, so it’s really educational.”

Dickinson said he was happy with the event’s turnout and was hoping that they would reach 700 guests at the event.

“The shelter provides a place for lost animals to go and education for kids about proper care for animals,” Dahl said. “The only thing that is going to save the communities animals is education.”