Wags and Whiskers raises funds for animal shelter

The Mission Valley Animal Shelter is holding its Wags and Whiskers fundraising event this Friday, Oct. 28, from 5:30-9 p.m. at the Ronan Community Center. The dinner is will feature prime rib and a vegetarian option with a no-host bar provided by Perfect Shot Tavern.

The largest annual fundraiser for MVAS raises funds for operations of the no-kill shelter located south of Polson. Tickets are $50 per person and a table may be reserved for $500, which includes a complimentary bottle of wine.

Bidding for the live auction items begins at 7:30 p.m. Offerings include Barbados and Antigua resort vacations, a fly-fishing trip, a custom basket of booze, 65-inch TV, custom-made dog house, a year of flowers and a rifle, among others. In addition, there are numerous valuable silent auction items, raffles and a lot of door prizes.

According to board member Sharon Hawke, the event has been cancelled the past couple of years due to the pandemic.

“This has always been a somewhat raucous and fun event and raised between $30,000 and $35,000,” she says. Hawke added that Wags and Whiskers raises crucial funds for the shelter, which was recently forced to revise its intake policies due to overcrowding.

MVAS is largely funded by community donations and income from the shelter’s Seconds 2 Go thrift store in Polson. There is no official animal control officer in Lake County and MVAS is the only animal shelter between Kalispell and Missoula.

“MVAS is essentially a no-kill shelter that will not euthanize an animal for lack of space,” says Hawke. “The numbers can be overwhelming, but we remain committed to all dogs and cats needing help in finding homes.”

Tickets for Wags and Whiskers are limited to 250. Call the shelter at 883-5312 to reserve a ticket; a few will also be available at the door.