Animal lovers poured into the Sun Jet Aviation hangar last Thursday evening for the annual Wine Women & Shoes fundraiser to benefit the Humane Society of Vero Beach & Indian River County. Ocean Drive Plastic Surgery was the presenting sponsor of the soirée, which supported the efforts of the nonprofit to care for lost, homeless and abused pets in Indian River County.

Pretty pups and devoted dudes put their best feet forward to raise additional funds, with Andrew Streeter taking home the crown as the 2019 King of Sole. Streeter and his fellow Shoe Guys had put their heart and ‘sole’ into a competition to raise the most amount of money for the Humane Society.

Playing off a theme as the “Best Night Ever,” attendees – mostly women accompanied by a few good men – were showered with attention from the moment they walked through the door. Making their way around the colossal hangar, which had morphed into a spectacular party palace, they shopped from marketplace vendors, sipped a selection of wines and nibbled on appetizers from local restaurants.

Ladies were dressed to the nines in everything from flowing gowns to sequined party dresses, but it was really all about the shoes. Shoe shots were taken for consideration in a Best in Shoe Contest, with winners of the most fabulous stiletto, wedge and overall shoe taking home prizes for their snazzy footwear.

Adorable shelter pets made the rounds as guests sipped on specialty drinks – Puppy Love and Kitten Snuggles – and awaited the much-anticipated start of the show.

The Indian River Charter High School Dance team kicked things off with cat-like precision, before the Shoe Guys made their way along the catwalk, bringing the crowd to their feet. A sea of lighted cat ears and sabers blinked in colorful abandon as the packed house cheered for their favorite footwear fellows.

“One of the things that I love best about animal sheltering is the unsung work that is done behind the scenes,” said Kate Meghji, HSVBIRC executive director. “Most people think of animal shelters as sad, scary places, as doggy jails, the pound or worse. The truth is so much better. We are a place of care and respite. We help people keep their beloved pets. We help abused animals recover.”

Despite a 17 percent increase in shelter intakes, Meghji said that adoptions increased by more than 100 percent over last year, with more than 1,700 pets having found new homes.

“We have implemented new initiatives to grow our safety net programs to keep pets in their homes. Our lifesaving rate is the highest it’s ever been, and the future is so bright for us to do even more.”

Future fundraisers include Bark in the Park on Jan. 11 and Cause for Paws on March 30.

For more information, visit hsvb.org.