FUNDRAISING AUCTION & GALA October 21, 2023 6:30 pm Fremont Studios • 155 N 35th Street, Seattle, WA Silent & Live Auctions ~ Raise the Paddle ~ Adoptable Animals
Join the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation for a night full of fun and love for the animals. Enjoy lively entertainment and libations, adoptable furry friends, delicious food, fabulous live and silent auction experiences, and more! This is a great way to give back to Seattle Animal Shelter while getting some great items and experiences.
Last year, nearly 300 attendees helped to raise more than $235,000 to fund the shelter’s services including a full-time foster care coordinator position to increase the number of dogs, cats, and critters that are placed in foster homes and provide direct support to foster parents and animals.
This year, we’re looking to top that! Your support is critical to the shelter’s ability to save lives and impact the quality of care for every single animal. All proceeds go towards supporting crucial programs at Seattle Animal Shelter.
We couldn’t do it without you! Come and join us!
TICKETS – Early Bird Pricing Until Sept 15 Individual | $180 Table of 10 | $1,800
Last year at the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) annual Furevermore Auction and Gala fundraising event, SASF paid tribute to Bob and Doris. Watch the touching tribute video slideshow below, narrated by Furevermore’s host Tracy Taylor. Married in 1962, the couple devoted themselves to giving back in a variety of ways. Over the years, both found ways to engage with the community. From church groups and women’s shelters, to becoming foster parents and adopting cats and kittens from the SAS. Bob passed away in 2020, and Doris followed on the same day one year later. Their love and work for SASF lives on through their legacy and their bequest, and every dollar raised for the Foster Coordinator role at Furevermore 2022 was matched by the estate of Bob and Doris.
A bequest carries on the work and legacy of people like Bob and Doris. Bequests help SASF fund vital programs at SAS, which directly benefit animals in need in our community. Ultimately, any charitable bequest means a part of your legacy supports your values. In our case, the mission of providing the best care, support, and loving families for animals.
What are bequests?
Bequests are an amount of money or value, designated for a specific purpose, that are given at the time a will is carried out.
An example of a bequest:
A person stipulates that a designated amount of money in their will goes to a specific organization.
What it means for pets:
What this means is that organizations like Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) receive gifts from dedicated animal lovers that go directly towards the care, support, and homing of animals in need through the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS).
How do you create a charitable bequest from your will or trust?
To create a charitable bequest – specify the beneficiary of your gift to the intended organization in either your will or living trust. Your charitable bequest could be stated as cash, securities, property; a percentage of your estate; or the remainder of your estate after all other stipulations are carried out.
Voiceover credit: Tracy Taylor, Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation Vice President
Don’t Miss The PAWTY! This year Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation’s annual Furevermore Auction & Gala is Saturday, October 21, 2023 from 6:30 – 9:30 pm at Fremont Studios in Seattle. Join us for a night full of entertainment and libations, adoptable furry friends, delicious food, fabulous live and silent auction experiences, and more. Your support is critical to the shelter’s ability to save lives and impact the quality of care for every single animal. Tickets are available now at https://cssas.ejoinme.org/tickets
The Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that raises critical funds to help enrich the lives of Seattle’s animals.
Every year, the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation hosts the Furry 5K, a Fun Run (or walk!) which benefits the Seattle Animal Shelter, supporting pets in need. And for the 5th year in a row, Mud Bay was the Furry 5K presenting sponsor.
Teddy, a local Seattle customer, browses Mud Bay treats.
On June 10, Mud Bay kindly hosted early packet pickup at their Greenwood location. The early packet pickup helped just over 300 participants get their goodies and gear before the race, making sure our human and dog runners were ready to go. And Furry 5K pup-ticipants could enjoy a sweet treat at the early packet pickup.
On the day of the race, Mud Bay was everywhere! As presenting sponsor, Mud Bay’s tent was front and center at the end of the race, handing out treats and goodies for finishers. Their logo also graced the bibs, backs of our teal t-shirts, and hot pink bandanas rocked by people and pets alike.
Finally, we’d like to thank Mud Bay for generously donating an additional dollar for every mile walked or run: a total of over $4,100 this year! Many thanks to Mud Bay and all of our participants and volunteers, from two to four legs.
The 24th annual Furry 5K is in the books! The weather cooperated and was perfect for running, walking, strolling, and petting dogs. Over 1,300 amazing humans registered for the race and Seward Park was a sea of teal with the adorable face of Ezzie everywhere.
Tracy Taylor-Turner, Vice President of the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation, served once again as the event’s MC and knocked it out of the park. The Seattle Animal Shelter Director Esteban Rodriguez gave a heartfelt thanks to the participants as they gathered at the start line. Former Seahawk Walter Jones hyped the crowd up. Then, Mayor (and Seattle Animal Shelter fan) Bruce Harrell counted down the start of the race as the crowd of participants, both two- and four-legged, were raring and ready to run.
RACERS TO WATCH
There were plenty of speedy people and pups on hand, with some truly impressive finishing times.
The fastest runners in each category were:
Male:
Michael Stewart (20:50)
John O’Hearn (21:04) + Dog
Taylor Kesler (21:18)
Female:
Julie Vieselmeyer (20:51) + Dog
Cleo Baernstein (20:57)
Ran Huo (22:15)
Non-Binary:
MJ Jenkins (23:13) + Dog
Vyas Savanur (25:54)
Katie Lyle-Beshai (30:33)
TOP FUNDRAISERS
In the weeks leading up to the Furry 5K Fun Run and Walk, individuals and teams worked diligently to fundraise to great success! Through generous donations, they raised nearly $14,000. Commercial Industrial Ruffing was the top fundraising team, raising over $1,000. The top fundraising doggo Hector (and his human Frank Massaro!) was presented a medal at the Pet-a-Palooza celebration.
BY THE NUMBERS
Over 4,100 miles walked or run
Over 30 vendors and sponsors
587 Runners
737 Walkers
Countless dogs!
And perhaps most importantly of all:
$118,949 raised to help the animals of Seattle!
THANK YOU TO ALL INVOLVED
None of this would have been possible without the support of donors, volunteers, sponsors, and vendors.
The Furry 5K has always been run by volunteers dedicated to raising funds to cover the Seattle Animal Shelter’s veterinary needs. This year’s race was put on by more than 100 volunteers – the glue of this beloved event! Whether you ran, walked, donated, led a team, shared a post on social media, or anything in between — thank you. Your support helps the Seattle Animal Shelter keep doing amazing work.
It takes a village to put on a race like the Furry 5K, and a huge part of that community are our sponsors. These sponsors provide the shelter with invaluable resources to create a fun, impactful event that truly matters to the animals in need of the care that the shelter provides. Thank you to:
A special shout out to our presenting sponsor, Mud Bay, for also donating $1 for each mile ran at the Furry 5K, for a total of $4,108!
Please join us at our Furevermore Auction & Gala on October 21st at Fremont Studios for a night full of fun and love for our community’s animals. Tickets are on sale now!
The best part of the Furry 5K Fun Run and Walk varies depending on who you ask. For many of us it’s simple: the dogs and their people. For others, it’s seeing the strength of the animal welfare community coming together to support such an important cause.
But for some, the best part is that it saved their life. Although they wouldn’t be able to tell you that.
In 2022, the Furry 5K made possible 226 veterinary visits for 135 animals, and many more lab tests and prescriptions in support of that.
The event raised $115,000, which goes specifically to the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) “Help the Animals” fund.
“As opposed to grant funding for behavior or foster programs, this fund goes into the ‘Help the Animals’ fund, so it is more nimble for the SAS,” said Seattle Animal Shelter Deputy Director Jocelyn Bouchard. “That’s one way it’s different, and that’s a positive thing. If we have a large impound or an urgent medical need, we can access it right away,” she said.
In 2022, most of the funds were used for vet costs, because the shelter was without a veterinarian so needed more external support. Some money went back into the foster program for reimbursements to foster homes for supplies, and toward the purchase of leashes and collars, and cardboard carriers to send cats to their forever homes. It also helped support the Canine Corral, where the shelter dogs are exercised.
“This fund was invaluable this past year. There was one surgery in particular, an orthopedic surgery for Styx, who needed both his front legs splinted,” Jocelyn said.
Styx was rescued when he was injured but thanks to multiple treatments funded by the Help the Animals Fund and the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation he was adopted and is well on his way to a full recovery.
For Styx and all the other animals helped by past Furry 5Ks, there’s a lot to love about the event. And for attendees, no matter what your favorite part, you’ll find it this year.
“The thing that always stands out … is everybody and their dogs. It’s just the best,” she said. “And it’s an opportunity to get together with like-minded people, support a great cause and see a bunch of cute animals.”
On June 11, Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) is holding the 24th annual Furry 5K at Seward Park. A chance to get outside, gather with our furry family members, and support animals in need. What’s more, 100% of funds raised on this fun day go to the Help the Animals Fund at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS).
Every fall, SASF hosts an auction and gala called Furevermore to raise funds for SAS. Last fall, Heather and Pete made a generous donation to win the Face of Furry 5K for their dog, Ezzie. We had a chat with the two about their history with animal welfare and how Ezzie brought new energy and joy to their day-to-day lives.
OUR CONVERSATION WITH HEATHER AND PETE
SASF: LET’S START WITH THE MOST IMPORTANT PART… CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EZZIE?
Heather: We got Ezzie in 2021 at a rescue in Eastern Washington, because he fit exactly what we were looking for and there are so many dogs over there needing adoption. Someone found him on the side of the road with an eye hanging out. Our last dog had both eyes removed so when I saw Ezzie with just one eye, that caught my attention. He has some stranger danger but once he gets to know you, he is the sweetest, most empathetic little guy.
WHY WERE YOU INTERESTED IN HAVING YOUR DOG BE THE FACE OF THE FURRY 5K?
Pete: I’m on the Board of the Seattle Humane Society, we’re long-time supporters of the Seattle Animal Shelter, and we’ve been going to Furevermore for many years. Heather was also involved in the very first auctions for a number of years. We loved the idea of giving Ezzie a platform to show that one-eyed stray dogs can be amazing dogs.
HOW DOES EZZIE AFFECT YOUR LIFE? HOW IS HE A PART OF YOUR DAY-TO-DAY?
Heather: In the morning he likes to climb on me and we’ll have a little chat. He gets me to walk every day, we play ball, and he’s next to me all work day long. He always wants to be with us, and he’s a great traveler, he goes with us down to Palm Springs.
Pete: He wants to be part of our lives and we want to be part of his. He’s very joyful, very athletic, and he has this way of running that is purely for fun. He doesn’t care about how fast he is, he just wants to have fun.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEMORY WITH EZZIE SO FAR?
Pete: Our first two dogs were older and quieter dogs, and the first day we brought Ezzie home, he was about a year and a half old, he went puppy crazy and played in our backyard for hours. But of course, he was nervous being in a new situation. So first day was wild and new. We were worried about what we got ourselves into, but it’s all been awesome. He sat on the console the whole ride home, so he was comfortable with us from the get-go.
Heather: He also has this ball he likes to play soccer with. He pushes it around with his front paws, then he jumps over it to stop it, and then pushes it back with his head.
OKAY, LAST QUESTION. IF SOMEONE WAS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THE FURRY 5K THIS SUMMER, WHAT IS ONE THING YOU’D TELL THEM?
Heather: It’s an amazing way to support animal welfare and any support goes a long way!
HOW TO JOIN IN ON THE FUN
There’s still plenty of time to sign up for this June’s Furry 5K! Check out the Furry 5K website to learn more about participating.
And if you’d like to see your pet be the Face of Furry 5K at a future event, stay tuned for more news about the Furevermore Auction & Gala this October.
Sunday, June 11, 2023 marks the 24th annual Furry 5K Fun Run and Walk. 100% of funds raised go to the Help the Animals Fund at the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS). The 2020 and 2021 Furry 5Ks were entirely virtual, but in 2022 and again for 2023 we are back to in-person! Our goal: Support pets in need while enjoying a fun and playful day outside with friends and animals.
The Help the Animals Fund is where all of the Furry 5K profits are deposited for SAS to use where most needed to help the animals in their care. In 2022 the fund helped cover the cost of a lot of external veterinary exams and diagnostics while SAS recruited for their amazing new veterinary team who are now in place. This external veterinary care included: lab tests and veterinary visits.
Below are our best tips for getting you and your dog ready for the event!
Before the race:
-Check with your dog’s vet that a 5K is suitable for them
-Slowly build up your dog’s miles
-Don’t feed your dog before a run, to prevent bloat
-Make sure you have the right collar/harness and leash (see the rules below)
-Make sure your dog is ready to socialize with others
-Invite your friends/family/coworkers to join you and register at Furry5K.com too!
On the day of the Furry 5K:
-Bring water for your dog
-Bring extra poop bags
-Bring a comfortable harness/leash
-Bring treats/snacks
-Watch for fatigue
-Don’t be afraid to ask for help!
Dog Safety Rules:
– No retractable leashes. – Leashes must be no longer than 8 feet (Seattle Municipal Code). – No dogs under 6 months of age. – No female dogs in heat. – No aggressive dogs. – Dogs must be on leashes at all times. – All dogs must be current on vaccinations.
On your mark, get set… go sign up for the 2023 Furry 5K Fun Run & Walk! Join us Sunday, June 11th at Seward Park, Seattle for a fun-filled event for dogs and humans hosted by the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF). Sign up for the Furry 5K and get ready to raise some funds for pets in need at the Seattle Animal Shelter.
Each registration includes a Furry 5K T-shirt featuring scruffy cover dog Ezzie, your race bib, and a bag filled with sponsor goodies. Advance packet pickup location and time will be announced on SASF’s social media Facebook and Instagram so be sure to follow us. We’ll email the details to all registrants too. Sign up for the Furry 5K now so you’ll get that email!
On Sunday, June 11th, day-of registration and packet pick up starts at 10am. Take your photo in the photo booth, then head over to the start line. The Furry 5K Fun Run & Walk will begin with a staggered start: Runners line up and the gun will fire at 11:30am. Walkers start 10 minutes later at 11:40am.
After you cross the finish line, treat your pup to a dip in the kiddie pool — a fantastic photo op, be sure to tag #furry5kseattle and #furry5k if you share your photos on social. Next, wind your way through the Pet-A-Palooza vendor booths full of fun pet products. Check out the list of sponsors below for some of the vendors that will be there for learning about products, and deals for shopping. Look for the corral at the far end next to the stage to watch talented athletic dogs race the agility course. Then turn to the stage for the Furry 5K awards and Pet Costume Contest. Awards will be given to the top 5K finishers, top individual fundraiser, top team fundraiser, and the best costumes – both human and dog costumes, of course.
100% of the Furry 5K Fun Run and Walk profits go to the Seattle Animal Shelter’s Help The Animals Fund, which supports medical care for pets in need. The Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) does so much to improve and save pet lives in our community. In 2022 alone, the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation supported SAS to…
Get 403 dogs, 544 cats, and 126 critters adopted
Provide 747 spay and neuter surgeries
Investigate 807 animal cruelty cases
Hold 1,831 animal behavior sessions for shelter animals
Reunite 429 lost animals with their owners
Rescue 316 wild animals
Perform 2,200 vet exams
Serve 628 animals via the pet food bank
You can help us help even more shelter pets in the coming year — our goal is for the 2023 Furry 5K to get to 1,800 runner and walker registrations before June 11th. Invite your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers, cat sitters, or dog-walking buddies to sign up at www.Furry5K.com and share why you’re racing on social media, tagging #furry5kseattle and #furry5k to join the fun!
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Many thanks to our sponsors, especially our Presenting Sponsor, Mud Bay, who helps make the Furry 5K event possible with their support.
The Furevermore Auction & Gala returned to the National Nordic Museum in Ballard with over 250 supporters thrilled to be having fun for a good cause.
Beautifully dressed attendees caught up with each other, shared stories of their pets, and enjoyed a lively cocktail hour. After a two-year hiatus of hosting Furevermore in person, people were ready to party. They flocked to new event features: an animal watercolor portrait, a magician, and raffle tickets offering one winner a weekend getaway.
Meanwhile, bidders looked down lines of tables at all of the silent auction items, like cat and dog care packages, an electric boat sailing excursion, and Seattle sports tickets. Best of all, adoptable kittens and bunnies from the Seattle Animal Shelter (SAS) greeted attendees.
Dinner and the live auction began with tremendous fanfare when supporters received a visit from surprise guests – adoptable shelter puppies! The auctioneer introduced a new live auction experience – puppy playtime. It wasn’t long before these floppy pups brought in over a $1,000 donation! And the bidding didn’t ease up there. Vacation getaways, Seattle dining and entertainment, and the chance to feature your pet in Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) event materials all went to the highest bidders.
All this fun was in support of raising money to improve the lives of dogs, cats, and critters at the shelter Since the pandemic, the shelter has leaned on its incredible foster program to care for pets. However, the foster program has reached its limit of what volunteers alone could sustain.
In addition to supporting existing programs like the behavior team, this year SASF needed to raise enough money to fund a full-time foster coordinator to improve the foster experience for people and pets alike.
During the Fund a Need portion of the evening, guests could pledge donations that would specifically be ear-marked for this foster need. A few donors went above and beyond, pledging $5,000 during Fund a Need! Many generous donors pledged $100, $200, or $500 after hearing from existing volunteers and foster parents about the current limitations of the program and how a loving foster home benefits shelter pets.
Even with all the cocktail hour activities, 100+ items to bid on, and a delicious dinner, Furevermore supporters were quick to raise their paddles and donate to fund the foster program to expand and stabilize the foster parent network, improve coordinated care for foster pets, and save the lives of more pets.
And wow did our supporters show up to help. We are thrilled to share that Furevermore raised a record fundraising total of $232,352!
With this money, SAS will begin hiring for the foster coordinator position at the end of this year. Plus, a portion will go toward the shelter’s general grants fund to cover a range of programs, including veterinary services, medical equipment at the shelter’s in-house clinic, and the behavioral therapy program.
Many thanks to everyone who attended, donated, got wonderfully competitive in the exciting live and silent auctions, all the volunteers, and shelter staff who made such a fantastic event possible. We couldn’t have done this without you!
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, subscribe to our email newsletter, and return to this website for updates on how the Seattle Animal Shelter Foundation is improving the lives of our most vulnerable pets in our community.
At Furevermore this year, we are excited to announce that there will be real, live animals. While we do our best to anticipate what animals will be there, these adorable future friends may be adopted by the time October 29th rolls around, but we will do our best to keep everything updated.
Make sure to get your tickets to meet some of the adorable animals in the critter tent!
Tiny, adorable baby rabbits
We are so incredibly excited to bring these itty bitty bunnies to the event, provided they don’t get adopted first.
There are five of these tiny, adorable fluff balls. That is 10 floppy ears, for anyone keeping count. They do not have formal names, or we would list them out with profile pictures, so for now just enjoy them in their sleepy pile.
As of the time of this posting they were just 3 weeks old. By the time we get to the event, they should be a bit less sleepy and more active. All the better to play.
Their mother is an equally adorable (though less tiny) rabbit named Lily. Lily came to us on August 11th, and gave birth to these babies on August 22nd. She is a sweet Holland Lop, so we assume that’s what her babies are too (good luck googling that and not falling in love).
Come meet the hoppity 5 at the critter tent at Furevermore, and if you haven’t already, get your tickets today!
