Fur Ball event to raise money for Pets ALIVE

Bloomington’s non-profit organization Pets ALIVE will host its first fundraising event, the Fur Ball, at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Fountain Square Ballroom.

Proceeds from the upcoming Fur Ball will go toward Pets ALIVE’s spay/neuter clinic.
The Fur Ball will begin with a reception that includes a silent auction.

When asked what guests can expect to find auctioned, Karla Kamster, president of the Pets ALIVE Board, said, “everything ranging from smaller things to bigger things such as airline tickets, good for anywhere in the continental U.S.”

Other notable items that have been donated to the auction include a mosaic from local artist Cappy Phillips and four tickets to the Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra on Nov. 17. A complete list of auctioned items can be found on the Pets ALIVE Web site.

The reception will be followed by a 7 p.m. dinner, featuring an array of food including a chicken entree as well as a vegetarian dish and wine provided by Oliver Winery.

Valerie Pena, senior vice president of Oliver Winery, said the wine is appropriately named Sky Dog Wine, a new Oliver Winery product.

After dinner, guests will view a presentation video and enjoy a canine fashion show where Kamster said 700 dresses will be modeled.

The local boutique London Dog will supply the clothing.

“I think it’s really amazing that Bloomington has something (Pets ALIVE) that is state of the art. I feel like no one is aware of it,” said Carole Biggs, founder of London Dog.
This will be London Dog’s first big project with Pets ALIVE.

Fashions displayed at the show include winter wear, doggy “bling,” tuxedos, sportswear and even such elaborate items as a red taffeta satin dress, all modeled by local dogs of Bloomington.

One or two fashion pieces will be auctioned off, while other fashions modeled in the show can be found at the London Dog store, 120 S. College Ave.

Tickets for the Fur Ball are $45 per person, $75 per couple, and can be purchased online or by mailing in a registration form. Kamster said tickets are selling quickly.
Pets ALIVE operates a low-cost spay/neuter clinic which serves South Central Indiana. Pets ALIVE opened in 2005, spaying and neutering about 30,000 animals in that time. Pets ALIVE began in 2002 with a mission to reduce the number of animals born in order to give already homeless animals a chance at adoption.

“We came to be because we found out how high the euthanasia rate was for healthy, adoptable animals,” Kamster said. 

Pets ALIVE has been nationally recognized for its work, and the Fur Ball is a chance for the community to learn about Pets ALIVE’s accomplishments.

“It’s time for us to celebrate what we have accomplished,” Kamster said. “This is huge what we’re doing.”