Join Home Fur Good on Sept. 21 from 7 to 10 p.m. for their annual medical fundraiser. This year the Casino Night themed event will take place at the Cambria North Scottsdale located at 4425 E. Irma Lane in Phoenix. All proceeds will help save the lives of cats and dogs across Maricopa County by going toward surgeries, vet bills, medications and other medical needs. General admission tickets cost $80 and can be purchased through Sept. 8.
For those interested, tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite by following the link on their website, homefurgood.org.
Ticket prices include admission, $100 of play/funny money, an alcoholic drink ticket, unlimited desserts and unlimited non-alcoholic beverages. There will also be cornhole, ax throwing, a silent auction, a wine ring toss, photo booth and more. Casino games include craps, roulette, poker and blackjack. Throughout the night guests can purchase more tickets to up their chances to win one of their raffles. All funds raised go toward the local nonprofit that has been rescuing local cats and dogs since 2009.
Supporting 15 years of animal advocacy and rescue
It all started back in 2009 when a group of six animal welfare advocates came together to start this nonprofit animal rescue. Realizing that Maricopa County had the second highest euthanasia rate in the nation, just behind Los Angeles, they knew they had to do something.
With an extreme overpopulation issue, the county was euthanizing animals for space if they had any kind of minor medical issue.
“We saw a big need so the six of us got together and decided that instead of just complaining, we would do something to help alleviate the problem,” Loretta Isaac, co-founder and board member of Home Fur Good Animal Rescue and Placement, said. “This isn’t a problem that’s going to be solved by one group but we can be a part of a wave of rescue together to help our homeless population of cats and dogs.”
With their mission being “to eliminate the euthanasia of adoptable homeless cats and dogs in Maricopa County by providing quality medical care and adoption placements, as well as promoting spay/neuter procedures and providing outreach education for pet owners,” they primarily take dogs not from the public but from Maricopa County Animal Care and Control.
County dogs are at higher risk of euthanasia. Because cats are free roaming in the county, Home Fur Good does take in stray cats and owner surrenders to try to help the huge outdoor cat population.
It’s not about taking the cute and fluffy dogs that will get adopted right away, it’s about taking those that need help the most. The no kill rescue has two low cost clinics open to the public. Whatever income they get goes right back to the rescue. One clinic offers dental appointments and the other vaccine appointments, both done by a veterinary professional.
To use their clinics, appointment scheduling is available on their website. These clinics have been a bonus not only for funding the nonprofit but for all pet owners in the community. When owners can’t afford to get their pets the care they need, that’s when they end up with an illness that could have been avoided and may possibly end up in county care.
“Personally, I feel such a responsibility because this pet overpopulation problem is created by humans yet they [the animals] are paying the price for it. I know that one person alone can’t fix it, and maybe even one group can’t, but we can do something,” Isaac said. “There are a lot of rescues in the Valley, but what makes us unique is that we don’t take the dogs that will get adopted right away. We have some dogs now that have been with us for seven, eight months already, but they will be with us until they get adopted.”
“Our main goal for us is to move them into a home,” she continued. “We’re not a sanctuary. When they first come in we assess them and hold them for 10 days before putting them up for adoption. We have them spayed/neutered, microchipped, vaccinated, dewormed and do flea and tick prevention.”
If a pet has behavioral issues they’ll have trainers on board to help. For interested adopters, they’ll vet them and follow up to make sure they’re doing okay.
For those looking to support the organization, there are many things you can do to help in addition to the upcoming fundraiser. You can donate, sponsor a dog, volunteer, share a social media post you see and check out their Amazon wish list, found on their website.
All of the fundraising event’s proceeds go to Home Fur Good, which is the result of a group of six individuals coming together over their passion for rescue. “It’s a labor of love,” Isaac said. “It’s a sense of being part of a solution that’s so rewarding.”
For more information about Home Fur Good, visit homefurgood.org.
