The Humane Society for Hamilton County (HSHC) will host its 19th annual Tinsel and Tails Holiday Petacular on Nov. 20 from 6 to 9 p.m. at 502 E. Event Center in Carmel. Caitlin Wesley, the volunteer programs manager, said the premier event will feature a seated dinner, silent auction, animals from the shelter and a slideshow of special pet rescue stories. The earnings from the fundraiser will go towards supporting the animal shelter, and those unable to attend can bid online.

Wesley said the event gives HSHC a chance to promote pet adoption awareness through stories.

“Our silent auction fundraisers, our 5Ks, they help us to be able to share the story of not just those animals looking for a home, but also sharing about the success stories that we have of those animals who have already been adopted.” Wesley said. “It really does promote the positive impact of rescue and adoption.”

Wesley also added that HSHC volunteers played an important role in setting up and allowing the event to run efficiently. 

“We’ll have volunteers to help to transport all of the items that are going to be featured in the event to the event center as well as volunteers who will be there on site helping to welcome folks in, get them registered for the silent auction,” Wesley said. “They help to handle some of our featured animals, so we do invite back HSHC adopted pets to feature and celebrate. I believe on the day of the event we will have 50 to 60 volunteers who will be helping us.”

Impacts of Tinsel and Tails

Rebecca Lee, volunteer at the HSHC and senior, said she hopes these types of events can promote pet rescue awareness and help pets find a loving home.

“I hope this event will raise awareness about humane societies in general, and encourage people to start adopting more animals. The more people don’t adopt them, the longer these dogs will have to wait in the shelters,” Lee said.

Additionally, Lee said volunteering at the animal shelter helped her gain insight to the problem of pet negligence. She said she learned that disabled dogs could be just as sweet as any other dog, and also deserved a loving home.

“I realized there’s a lot of dogs who have been very mistreated and neglected in general. When I volunteered at the Human Society, it tugged on my heartstrings a lot because the dogs there are really sweet,” Lee said. “A lot of dogs have disabilities, like a lot of them were missing legs or had an eye infection. I noticed that people tend to stray away from those dogs, but once you get to know them, they’re so sweet.”

Regarding local impact, sophomore Audrey Hammer, said she adopted her pet from the Humane Society.

“When I went to the shelter, everyone was so nice and kind to the dogs. We got to play with cats and dogs and they were just really well taken care of,” Hammer said.

Lee said that volunteering at the Humane Society has impacted her deeply.

“I think the best thing about volunteering at the Humane Society was that I got to interact with so many different breeds and shapes and sizes and colors. There were so many diverse animals, and I think that really impacted me because I got to experience that,” Lee said.

Hammer agreed with Lee’s sentiment, saying that the Humane Society had been able to connect her with a dog that has deeply impacted her family.

“I’m really grateful for everything the Humane Society does because it’s given me the opportunity to have a dog,” Hammer said. “My dog, Penny, makes me really happy. She’s really fun to play with, for example, last night, I was working on the floor and she just came over and sat in my lap.”

Accomplishments

Wesley said the event enabled her to see the achievements of all the staff and volunteers and the significant impact HSHC has had on animals.

“I think my favorite part is being able to share with our supporters the amazing work that our shelter has done throughout the year. It’s a time that we use to recognize the hard work of our staff and volunteers,” Wesley said. “It’s really a heartwarming moment or night for me because we see typically anywhere from 3,800 to 4,000 animals in a given year that come through our doors. Being able to share the success of what we do is really meaningful.”

Furthermore, Lee said the Humane Society served as an important way to grant dogs a second chance at a family.

“It’s good to have a place that kind of houses them until they can find that forever home. I went back to the Humane Society last week, and every single dog that I had volunteered with over this summer had gone because they had all been adopted,” Lee said. 

Wesley said, “Animals need a little bit of time when they come into a forever home. They need to get to know their family, to understand that they have a new life. Sometimes it takes a little bit of work, whether they’re bringing a dog or a cat into their home. It might not be perfect right off the bat, but these animals have a lot of love to give if we just give them a little bit of time and patience as well.”