Auction for the Animals coming to a screen near you Saturday

Posted

2020/08/cover-HSPS-Preview-Photo-300x203.gif Illustration courtesy Humane Society of Pagosa Springs

By Mike Stoll

Humane Society of Pagosa Springs

We’ll remember 2020 as the year we brought the auction home. To the comfort of your home, that is. 

After 25 consecutive years of hosting a live, in-person fundraiser, this year’s version of our annual Auction for the Animals will be silent, virtual and online. Access is easy. On Saturday, Aug. 29, at 6:30 p.m., go online to www.hspagosa.org and you can enjoy an hour full of fun and entertainment supporting our local shelter animals.

Entertainment for this year’s event features music from a local favorite, singer/songwriter Tim Sullivan. Kick off your shoes, take your partner by the hand and hit the living room dance floor, or simply sit back, relax and listen to some great music. 

Joining Tim Sullivan on the entertainment bill will be our very own pet fashion show. We have dogs, cats, horses, donkeys, birds — and maybe a pig — ready to show off their finest red carpet costumes. There are donated prizes at stake and viewers can vote for their favorite pets and costumes. Prizes will go to the top three vote recipients. Votes are $5 each and all money raised goes to support the shelter animals. Voting will conclude on Monday, Aug. 31. You can rewatch Tim Sullivan and the pet fashion show by going to www.hspagosa.org after the event.

The Auction for the Animals is our most important annual fundraiser. The success of our auction makes a huge difference each year in our ability to create a safe haven and deliver the quality care that lost, abandoned and homeless animals need and truly deserve. This year more than ever before, the success of our auction can help us continue to provide shelter, food, vaccines and medical care for nearly 700 animals that will call the shelter home, at least until a family and a forever home can be found for them.

The silent auction is loaded with a wide variety of items — there’s bound to be something to appeal to just about everyone. This is a great opportunity to do some shopping for family and friends and treat yourself, too. Bidding on silent auction items isn’t the only way to help the shelter animals. You can make donations to buy treats and food, pay for a pre-adoption spay surgery or help cover the cost of emergency veterinary care. You can also make general donations that the shelter can use wherever the need is greatest. Any amount, from small to substantial, makes a difference in the lives of the homeless dogs and cats in our care. To bid in the silent auction or to make a donation, simply go to www.hspagosa.org and follow the easy to use prompts.

Headlining this year’s silent auction is a 2010 silver Ford F150 crew cab 5.4L V8 four-wheel-drive pickup truck. This is a one-owner vehicle with fewer than 77,000 original miles, kept in a garage. Regularly serviced, with a new pristine windshield, no damage or accidents, with a Carfax report available. June 2020 service included new tires, oil change and filters, multipoint inspection, and service to battery terminals and cables. Truck has XM radio and is equipped with sync, power door locks, cruise control, tow hitch receiver, a WARN M8000 premium winch and large elk/deer grille guard. Pickup has a 6-foot Rhino lining bed with nationwide lifetime warranty, locking tailgate, keyless entry, power windows and all owner manuals included. Serviced locally.

How about some gorgeous jewelry to adorn you or your partner as you drive in your newly purchased F150 pickup truck? Colorado classy. Variety and beauty are abundant in this year’s jewelry selections, including several 14-karat gold and diamond earrings and bracelets, numerous beautiful and unique necklaces and earrings, and a stunning 18-karat yellow gold ring with 13 points diamonds. The auction also includes a lovely cherry wood jewelry case to safely keep your treasures.

In the art work category, there are blown glass and crystal vases, unique gourds, pet motif totes and prints, a Patrick Nagel first commemorative serigraph, and original paintings from Tracy Miller, Edward Lis and Joseph Nash (1808-1878), among others. For the music fan, we have a framed photo of Aerosmith autographed by the band members, with certificate of authenticity. The auction also includes numerous home décor and kitchen items, pet products, and a huge selection of gift baskets featuring beverages and accessories from coffee to wine, and much more. There are clothing items from shawls to handbags, to colorful dresses for youngsters. Not sure what to get for a gift? Choose from a number of gift certificates from local restaurants, businesses and professional services.

If you’re looking for something unique and special, check out these auction items: four ceremonial Native American log drums, a brand new Starcaster electric guitar, a Lyman 58 caliber black powder replica rifle and a Jukar Kentucky 45 caliber black powder replica. If modes of transportation involving saddles appeal to you, choose from a gorgeous, very gently used 3910 western saddle or a very cool classic refurbished bicycle built for two, or even a unique vintage carousel horse on stand, complete with brass pole and horse hair tail.

If you are looking forward to traveling again in the future, we have an awesome selection of domestic and foreign trips with extended travel times available. Looking for a once-in-a-lifetime trip at a reasonable price? Check out the seven-day, six-night African photo safari trip with a 24-month expiration window. Have visitors coming to town who need a place to stay? Take a look at the Pagosa getaway that features a two-night stay in a luxurious condo and includes a wine gift basket and gift certificates.

Since there is no live auction this year, we can’t offer to serve you a delicious catered dinner. But good food is still on the menu. We’ve partnered with seven local restaurants and eateries who will be donating a percentage of their food sales on the day of the virtual event to support the shelter animals. Buy breakfast, lunch and/or dinner on Aug. 29 from any of our participating partners and they will donate money to the animal shelter. Go to www.hspagosa.org for a list of our partners or look for their logos in our advertising. Get some good eats for a good cause. 

We are very aware that this year has been challenging for our community members and local businesses. We’ve experienced economic hardships and financial shortfalls at the animal shelter, too. It’s a tough year to ask for help because for some folks, there simply isn’t anything extra to give and we understand that. If you’re a pet owner who is struggling, please contact us about our pet food bank and other support programs. For those of you who can afford to give, your support for our silent auction and donations for the shelter are truly needed and most sincerely appreciated. 

The Humane Society of Pagosa Springs is a local private nonprofit organization that operates the only animal shelter in Archuleta County. Your local humane society does not receive funding from the Humane Society of the United States, American Humane, ASPCA or any other 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. The Humane Society of Pagosa Springs is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, all donations are tax deductible to the full extent of the law.