Spooky puppies help raise funds for local shelter
On Oct. 28, pups were dressed in Halloween costumes. They brought their human friends to the Spooky Pup-Fest, a fundraiser hosted on the Cache Valley Fairgrounds.
The event raised money for the Cache Humane Society, a nonprofit organization that runs a local no-kill shelter. It was hosted by students in the Dogs in Art class as a community service project in the Honors Program.
Ella Whitesides was the group leader who helped to oversee the planning of the event.
“In Dogs in Art, we are working with Dr. Gelfand, and she is an art history professor,” Whitesides said. “In her last probably about 10 years of study, has turned from simply medieval art to the representations of dogs, and into what is known as animal studies.”
Libby Henrie and her dog Frankie dressed up Paris themed.
Over the years, the fundraiser has been changing to focus on community engagement and auctions. This year, the event turned into the Spooky Pup-Fest.
Hazel Harris is a student in the Dogs in Art class. She helped her team organize people on the day of the event.
“This year we chose to do a Spooky Pup-Fest, which is like a market/dog costume parade with activities for families,” Harris said.
This is the first time the fundraiser has taken this approach to raising the necessary funds for the Cache Humane Society.
“This year, because we didn’t have a concrete item that we were trying to raise money for, this was meant to just be a monetary goal — about $6,000 that we can put to boards, helping them with their adoption events,” Whitesides said.
There were several activities to participate in at the event. Dogs dressed in their Halloween costumes for the costume contest, and local vendors who specialize in dog-friendly products set up shop. There were activities for dogs and their human friends alike to enjoy.
“We decided to mostly keep them kind of pet friendly,” Harris said. “So you have paw print stamping, bobbing for hot dogs and making balloon animals.”
The event at its heart was all for the dogs and animals in the shelter, which has limited space for its animals. With the money raised, the shelter will be able to continue to run without as many financial burdens.
“Cache Humane Society used to be the sponsored animal shelter for the district,” Whitesides said. “They have since branched off to become a nonprofit and they are a no-kill shelter.”
Support for the Cache Humane Society is always welcome.
“This year, we’re done with this event, but you can always be donating and volunteering at Cache Humane Society as well, which would be a great way to get involved as far as honor students go. This class will be taught again next year for certain,” Whitesides said.
Although the event is over, there are still ways to help support Cache Humane Society until the next Pup-Fest.
“If people want to donate, they can if you’re interested in that,” Harris said. “But they do like to have volunteers, and you can go help walk the animals or play with them, clean kennels, stuff like that.”