Animal shelter goes Hollywood

On the evening of Saturday, Feb. 4, Heartland Humane Society hosted their ninth annual Wine and Whiskers fundraiser for the city of Corvallis.

The "Hollywood's Red Carpet" themed event this year hosted hundreds of donors and benefactors that came to support the animal shelter.  People showed up as early as 5 p.m., and were still lined up at 6:30.

"This is the first time we've sold out a week before the event; we're very excited," said Anna Lopez, Heartland Humane Society's development director.

Lopez has worked for Heartland for four years, and is in charge of fundraising events. There have been nine Wine and Whisker fundraisers in past years.

Wine and Whiskers is Heartland's biggest annual fundraiser. Last year it had generated more than $70,000 from local supporters, and this year was expected to exceed that amount.

The Wine and Whisker event itself was a silent auction and dinner followed by a live auction.  The guests were entertained with wine tasting, bidding on items and refreshments.

There were three rooms set up for auctioning, one row of items were displayed in the entrance hall, and several were displayed in the corridors between the rooms.

The first was the green room, with no particular theme or value to the selection of the items.  This room was the first to close auction at 6:30 p.m., followed by the silver screen room at 6:45 p.m. and then the red carpet room at 7 p.m.

There were many notable items of value, from jewelry to a wedding kimono from Japan. At 7 p.m., dinner was served and the live auction began, which sold the most expensive prizes.

These items were a free vacation where the winner could choose from three locations: Vancouver B.C., San Diego or Las Vegas; a month of day care service; an opportunity to have an artist paint a mural of a pet; and a surprise box of adult toys.

The purpose of the fundraiser was not just to raise money for the animal shelter, but also to raise public awareness.

"We want everyone to be aware that we aren't just about animal care. There are numerous programs to get involved with, and a lot of volunteer opportunities," Lopez said.

Heartland Humane Society is one out of the only four animal shelters that take in wild animals (rabbits, guinea pigs, etc.)

When asked why this year was so highly anticipated compared to previous events, executive director Andrea Thornburry said, "Donations and support grow every year, but this past year, we were featured on an episode of ‘Confessions: Animal Hoarding' on Animal Planet, so we got the bonus of media coverage."

The goal of the evening was to match $70,000, but Thornburry was confident meeting and exceeding that goal wouldn't be a problem.

The guests seemed to enjoy themselves as almost everyone took home bottles of wine, which was priced at $25.

"I came here to have fun.  I don't get to dress up very often, and I know a lot of people here," said Heidi Sterling, a donor who runs her own pet-sitting business. This year was her fourth Wine and Whiskers attendance.

For donation drop-offs and more information, go to the Cat's Meow thrift shop, where item purchases go to support Heartland Humane Society.

Amanda Antell, staff reporter

737-2231 news@dailybarometer.com