By Mike Stoll
Humane Society of Pagosa Springs
The Humane Society of Pagosa Springs’ (HSPS) first-ever virtual fundraiser is set to take place Saturday, Aug. 29, at 6:30 p.m. After 25 years of hosting our live Auction for the Animals, this year’s version will be online, socially distanced and accessible from the comfort of your own home. Detailed information on this virtual event can be found at www.hspagosa.org.
The auction is our most important annual fundraiser. Each year, more than 600 lost, abandoned or homeless dogs and cats enter our shelter. The purchases, donations and sponsorships from this event help us deliver the quality care that each and every shelter animal deserves. This year more than ever before, the success of our auction will play an essential role in our ability to provide a safe haven for every animal in need.
2020 has been challenging for our community and the world, like no other year in recent memory. This has been true for the HSPS animal shelter as well. Our thrift store, which generates the lion’s share of funding for the shelter, was closed for more than two months this spring due to Colorado’s Safer-At-Home order. That extended closure has created a significant shortfall in operating revenue for the animal shelter, which lends added importance to this month’s fundraiser.
The silent online auction is chock-full of great stuff, including a large selection of beautiful jewelry, original and reproduction works of art, gift baskets galore, gift certificates to local businesses, trips to regional and international locations, and much more. Unique auction items include a set for four traditional pedestal drums, a very competitively priced African photo safari trip with a 24-month expiration window and a Ford F150 four-wheel-drive pickup truck. Auction bidding starts Friday, Aug. 21, and continues until Aug. 31.
Log in to www.hspagosa.org to either preview items or start your bidding. Silent auction items may also be previewed in person next week at the Tennyson Building Event Center, 197 Navajo Trail Drive, on Monday from noon to 4 p.m., Wednesday from 4 to 8 p.m. and Friday from 9 a.m. to noon.
If you’d rather not bid on silent auction items, there are still ways to participate in the virtual fundraiser and help the animals. You can make a dedicated donation to help cover specific shelter costs like spay surgeries, vaccines and emergency medical care, or you can make a general donation to be used wherever the shelter needs it most. You can also join the virtual event on Aug. 29 and buy votes to help your favorite pet fashion show participants win prizes for their spectacular efforts — this is one time when buying votes is legal. Go to www.hspagosa.org to find all the ways you can contribute to the well-being of the shelter animals.
Our restaurant partners who will be donating a portion of their food sales for Aug. 29. Visit www.hspagosa.org for sponsor information and a list of participating restaurants so you can purchase breakfast, lunch or dinner from our partners on Aug. 29 — get some awesome food for a great cause.
HSPS is a local private nonprofit organization that operates the only animal shelter in Archuleta County. Your local humane society does not receive funding from any national animal welfare organizations. Private donations, grants and thrift store revenues cover only a portion of animal shelter operating expenses. The remainder of shelter costs must be met through fundraising events like the virtual Auction for the Animals. HSPS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization; all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.
