‘Nobody takes a paycheck’

The Friends of the Burlington County Animal Shelter will host their second annual Wags & Whiskers spring gala at the Laurel Creek Country Club in Mount Laurel on Saturday, May 2, from 6 to 10 p.m.

Guests can expect dinner, a DJ, basket raffles and a complimentary selection of spirits and beverages. The dress code will be cocktail attire. All proceeds benefit the Friends.

“It’s about having a fun night to celebrate everything that we do, but then also to have people celebrate with us in the hopes that they will feel like this is something that they would like to donate to or maybe even spread the word about,” said event co-chair Alyssa Gazonas. “It’s just so important.

“We always are in need of fosters and adopters, so you just never know who is going to attend something that will be able to bring that information home and spread the word on what we’re doing.”

“We are very excited,” noted event co-chair Mary Beth Morrone. “It’s just (about) really trying to inform the community and people who are willing to come to (the) gala and learn more about what we do and see ways that maybe they can get involved …

“It’s just another way to educate people as to what’s happening within their own county,” she added. ” … The donations are all for the animals. Nobody takes a paycheck.”

The Friends, founded in 2010, cooperates with the county shelter to care for shelter pets and place them into adoptive homes. Its mission is to save the lives of homeless animals by working toward a no-kill vision. The organization not only offers resources like emergency foster services and adoption resources, but it’s also a partner of the Best Friends Network.

That network, according to its website, is a community of thousands of shelters, rescue groups, spay/neuter organizations and other animal welfare groups, all working to save the lives of dogs and cats in communities across the country. Also under the Friends’ umbrella is the Hissy Hut, a cat adoption center born from the need to find homes for abandoned, friendly community cats.

The organization is the first brick-and-mortar location of the Friends and is committed to reducing the community cat population and providing abandoned cats a second chance. The Hissy Hut also supports the Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return program by providing a safe place for community cats to stay pre- and post- surgery before their release.

“As much as we have a humongous volunteer base,” Gazonas acknowledged, “we are always in need of more volunteers, and that could be something as simple as coming into the shelter to take photographs (of the animals), help out with smaller events, be a lobby greeter …

“We need volunteers, we need fosters, we need people who care about animals and want to be part of something bigger that will truly impact the lives of many animals.”

Aside from Wags & Whiskers, the Friends’ other upcoming events include its Fur Baby Fest and the annual Paw Prints PetFest & 5K. Tickets for Wags & Whiskers will be on sale until Friday, April 24.

Visit www.friendsofbcas.org or the organization’s social media for more information.