By Katie Hoffman, Student Reporter
Abilenians, and their pets, will dance, dress up and chow down at Rescue the Animal’s 10th Annual Fur Ball Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in the Abilene Civic Center.
Joanne Bentley, who volunteers with Rescue the Animals, said that the idea for the Fur Ball came about out of necessity when the rescue center was first beginning.
“We needed to come up with some fundraisers, you know, because the vet bills and the housing and food, it’s all very costly,” Bentley said. “So, we put our minds together and came up with the Fur Ball.”
Fur Ball is a benefit fundraiser for Rescue the Animals, the largest private adoption center between Fort Worth and El Paso. The clinic is a locally operated, non-profit organization known for rescuing over 10,000 cats and dogs over the past 10 years.
“We’ve been doing it now for ten years, and it’s just grown every year,” Bentley said. “We’ve sold out just about every year, and usually have around 600 people and around 300 to 400 dogs.”
For this event, a ballroom will be divided into two sections labeled “People Fare” and “Doggie Buffet”. Dogs can indulge in Coldstone Creamery’s doggie ice cream bar of frozen yogurt and Cookies By Design’s handcrafted doggie desserts, and their owners can sample Texas steak made by Perini Ranch Steakhouse. The steakhouse was named the third best steakhouse in Texas by Texas Monthly magazine. The food supplied to the event correlates with its western theme.
“It is amazing that every year, you don’t hear more than a growl or two out of the dogs. It’s just amazing how well all of the animals get along,” Bentley said. “We have dance contests for the dogs, costume contests for the dogs, we have an Emcee, Susan King, and it’s just always a great time.”
Jim Ned’s jazz band will play and Trish from Trish’s’ Treasures will take visitor’s photos and make them available for purchase. The 2009 Rescue the Animals calendars, filled with photos of cats and dogs, will be sold two for $10. Door prizes and a cash bar are other features the event will offer.
Tickets are $30 and are sold at the rescue center office, and those with questions can contact the “Fur Ball hotline” at 672-4456. The proceeds will help the center give low-cost vaccinations and spay/neuter services, while reducing adoption fees. For more information and pictures from previous Fur Balls, visit http://www.rescuetheanimals.org
Rescue the Animals is an Abilene-based rescue center, and according to Bentley, is now the largest rescue center in West Texas.
“Mr. Washburn started off trying to save all the Australian shepherds, his favorite breed, from the pound and Animal Control, and then someone said, ‘Why don’t we save all of them,’ and it just mushroomed from there,” Bentley said.
Rescue the Animals is always in need of volunteers, and will take anyone older than 16 years of age. Those younger than 16 can only volunteer with a parent.
“You can just come down to the adoption center, fill out a volunteer application, then go in, tell them what youre willing to do, and then just do it,” Bentley said. “Most of our volunteers go out and walk the dogs, play with the cats, and really just socialize with the animals. Some of the animals have been at our center for awhile now, and they are really in need of some loving.”
Lydia Melby contributed to this report.
