Lake Oconee Humane Society (LOHS) is preparing to host its fourth-annual “Wine, Wags, and Whiskers” fundraiser.
The event will take place 6-9:30 p.m. on Aug. 8 at Festival Hall in Greensboro, featuring wine tastings, live music, and silent and live auctions.
The nonprofit celebrates its 26th anniversary this year, and board members believe this year has been “busier than usual,” due to recent services being added. They hope the event can spread awareness of their services to the community, beyond animal adoptions.
“We had a more concert-like atmosphere last year, and we’re going back to what we had done in the past and just make it more of a social gathering with the same silent and live auction,” LOHS Board President Barbara Gniewek said. “We’re excited about it. It’s a new place [for ‘Wine, Wags, and Whiskers’], and we also have a new caterer (Metropolis).”
During the event auctions, LOHS will offer various items such as gift baskets, certificates, and multiple “high-value items.” Event wine will be provided by Rescue Dog Wines, a business that donates half its profits directly to shelter organizations.
The proceeds from the “Wine, Wags, and Whiskers” fundraiser will be used to support various LOHS services, including a spay-and-neuter clinic, a trap-neuter-return program, and a pet food distribution program.
According to Gniewek, the shelter opened its low-cost spay-and-neuter clinic in June, and it will be the focus of the upcoming fundraiser. LOHS previously sent animals to the Athens, Madison, and Atlanta areas for the procedures.
“We got an incredible opportunity, and a volunteer vet came over and said he wanted to leave his job,” Gniewek said. “We talked to all the other rescue agencies, and we figured out a way, and now we are altering the world around here.”
With the recent addition of the spay-and-neuter clinic, LOHS now treats approximately 60 to 100 animals weekly onsite with surgeries. Before the low-cost clinic opened, LOHS was sending animals to various locations for only about 10 to 12 surgeries per week.
“We were doing low-cost spay and neuter, but we were sending them out to do them,” LOHS Executive Director Diane Robinson said. “Doing it in-house, we’re able to do a lot more with a lower expense.”
Overall, the LOHS board hopes that the “Wine, Wags, and Whiskers” event will help decrease euthanasia while also raising awareness of LOHS services. The Lake Oconee Humane Society is a “no-kill” shelter, though board members maintain Georgia remains “one of the worst states in the country” for euthanasia rates.
“This unforgettable evening is not only a celebration of community and compassion, but a lifeline for hundreds of animals who depend on us for shelter, medical care, and a second chance at life,” Robinson added.
For tickets and event information, visit lohspets.org/wine25. To donate items for the auction or for any questions, email LOHS at marketing@lohspets.org.