The Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County celebrated seven decades of caring for animals in need during its annual Cause for Paws Dinner at the Oak Harbor Club.
A pack of special canine greeters, all available for adoption, wagged and licked their way into guests’ hearts as they arrived, while their feline counterparts, a kindle of purr-fectly adorable kittens, won over any holdouts.
All those soulful eyes clearly worked their magic, as the event, which featured silent and live auctions and a call to the heart, raised more than $425,000 to benefit the HSVB, which will use the funds to further its mission of caring for animals and promoting responsible pet ownership.
“Tonight, we are celebrating a very special milestone. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Humane Society of Vero Beach and Indian River County,” said Susan Schuyler Smith, HSVB board president, as she welcomed guests.
“We haven’t all been here for 70 years, but for 70 years we’ve been dedicated to the life-saving work of rescuing and caring for the animals in our care. We have come a long way since our very humble beginnings, and it is thanks to the hard work and dedication of our staff, volunteers and supporters that we’ve been able to make such a difference in the lives of so many animals.”
A video was shown chronicling the history of the shelter, which began in 1953 when Peggy Kuster and 15 other local residents founded the Animal Protective Society of Vero Beach.
The goal was to ensure that lost and unwanted animals would receive caring treatment and a place to live.
“I am proud to announce that, in the past year, we provided shelter for more than 3,000 animals and helped over 2,000 find their new, loving homes,” said Kate Meghji, HSVB CEO. “And, for the third year in a row, achieved a 95 percent save rate, making us the largest no-kill shelter in Indian River County.
“We have reunited over 500 lost pets with their owners, given nearly 8,000 vaccines, and performed nearly 3,000 spay and neuter surgeries to help reduce the number of homeless animals in our community,” said Meghji.
She added that the shelter also cared for 500 wild animals, fostered more than 600 animals and rescued about 200 homeless pets from other Florida shelters.
After a spirited live auction, guests viewed several brief, but heartwarming videos featuring the various aspects of the work done by the HSVB to help animals and people, from caring for injured, abused and/or older animals to assisting owners who can no longer care for their pets, before closing the evening with a call from the heart.
For more information, visit hsvb.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
