As much as we love coming together in a venue and dressing up for a swanky night out, we have decided to forgo this year’s physical gala to protect our staff, volunteers, and supporters from the spread of COVID-19. It’s certainly not how we planned to hold our 20th annual auction, but your health and safety are a priority, so we plan to show you a good time–while saving the lives of stray and abandoned cats and dogs–in the first-ever virtual Evening of Pawsibilities.

Some elements of the event remain unchanged. With bidding in the silent auction having taken place through smart phones and tablets since 2016, the auction will feel quite familiar to those who have joined us at the event in the recent past. We’ll still delight your taste buds with randomly-drawn bottles in the Wine Pull, and of course, our raffle will still take place! This year, the raffle prize is a $1,000 Amazon gift card!

But we’re also excited about the elements of the event that we can change up just a little or add to the event now that we’re no longer restricted by ballroom regulations and fancy gowns. For example, while the live auction items were usually only available to those at the event, now the bidding will be open to all! And while we don’t want to ruin the surprise just yet, let’s just say that the usual handful of puppies and kittens present at the event will be greatly expanded this year in ways that no one saw coming…

This 20th anniversary also brings with it two special elements: first, as it takes place over Halloween weekend, our participants can feast their eyes on cute, silly, and spooky Howl-o-ween costumes for the pet costume contest and vote for their favorites. Secondly, because we just couldn’t resist sharing a special evening with you, our partners in rescue, we’ll be going LIVE for the finale from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern on Sun., Nov. 1!

All the details are still to come, so register now HERE–it’s free, and it’ll keep you in the loop as we make announcements and open the auction for bidding! (You can also now purchase raffle tickets for that $1,000 Amazon gift card at the same link.) Thank you for being with us through thick and thin as we navigate these strange times, and please, stay safe out there!