77.8 F
Cruz Bay
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeNewsLocal newsHumane Society’s Valentine Fundraiser Garners $150,000

Humane Society’s Valentine Fundraiser Garners $150,000

Humane Society fundraiser Annette Zachman cradles a puppy to her chest during the Valentine’s fundraiser. (Photo submitted by Annette Zachman)
Humane Society fundraiser Annette Zachman cradles a puppy to her chest during the Valentine’s fundraiser. (Photo submitted by Annette Zachman)

The “Valentine’s Brunch and Silent Auction” fundraising event hosted Sunday by the Humane Society of St. Thomas, raised almost $150,000 towards critical supplies needed to take care of the many animals that depend on the shelter’s services.

Annette Zachman, who chaired the Humane Society’s fundraising committee, said the event was sold out two weeks before the date, selling 228 tickets it was overall “a great success” for the Humane Society. The organization hasn’t been able to host a Valentine’s fundraiser since 2017 when the island was hit by two Category 5 hurricanes. This is the first time the shelter has put on a brunch, prior years there was generally a ball.

The event had three tiered sponsors, and Zachman said she was amazed to have seven “Top Dog” sponsors, in addition to a slew of “Cats Meow” and “Kitty Kisses” sponsors. All sponsors received tickets to the event as well as advertisement in the program booklet.

“It was just fabulous,” Zachman said.

Hundreds of people filled the newly remodeled Ritz-Carlton to raise funds for the Humane Society. (Photo submitted by Annette Zachman)
Hundreds of people filled the newly remodeled Ritz-Carlton to raise funds for the St. Thomas Humane Society. (Photo submitted by Annette Zachman)

The Humane Society operates under an open-door policy, which means they will not turn away any animals needing shelter. Zachman said this can sometimes overwhelm the shelter that just in the last three days took in 30 puppies. The shelter is in constant need of supplies, Zachman said, and funding it can be challenging, especially when the Humane Society has not received government funding to help with operations since 2017.

“With no government funding it is extremely exhausting. We are doing the work the government needs to be doing because it’s hard to say no … it’s an unfortunate challenge. But hopefully they come around to realize all the work we are doing to control the homeless animal population on the island and that if we want to remain America’s paradise then some attention needs to be put on this,” Zachman said.

Jim Hines, General Manager at Bellows International, smiles while holding a puppy in one arm and a glass in the other. (Photo submitted by Annette Zachman)
Jim Hines, general manager at Bellows International, smiles while holding a puppy in one arm and a beverage in the other. (Photo submitted by Annette Zachman)

All donations and funds gathered from the event will go towards food, supplies, vaccines, treatments, staff and diesel for when the power goes out.

“These things are a necessity for us to keep our doors open,” Zachman said.

Though it was hard for Zachman to single out a favorite moment during the brunch, she said it was likely the “Stand Up for an Animal” auction.

During this auction all the attendees received a paddle with a bidding number. The items being auctioned were vaccines for an animal for a year or heartworm treatment for five animals.

“We would start with the auctioneer saying for $5000 who wants to stand up and support an animal for one year. And we had a woman who stood and waved her paddle and said ‘Yay, I will!’ And then we would lower it to $2,500 and we got numerous others to stand up for an animal, and then we got to $1,000 and $500, and pretty soon half the room was standing. It was really engaging and so exciting as more and more people stood up,” Zachman said.

The Humane Society’s shelter manager Brianna Berks cuddles a kitten during the Valentine’s fundraiser. (Photo submitted by Annette Zachman)
The Humane Society’s shelter manager Brianna Berks cuddles a kitten during the Valentine’s fundraiser. (Photo submitted by Annette Zachman)

Another moment Zachman truly enjoyed was the company of shelter animals that were brought into the event, another first for the Humane Society.

For those residents who were not able to attend Sunday’s event, another is just around the corner. Zachman said “Paint Your Pet,” an event in which participants submit a photo of their pets and are given canvas and tools to paint a picture of them, is scheduled to take place March 19 at the Art Emporium in Tillett Gardens.

People can learn more about the event by calling the Humane Society at 340-775-0599 or visiting its website.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.