Annual Fur Ball Gala comes to Dana Point to raise donations for rescue animals
A Fur Ball Gala handout, advertising a night for party animals. Justine Baginski/Lariat
A prom-themed fundraising event is scheduled for Sep. 22 at the Laguna Cliffs Marriot Resort and Spa, organized by Pet Project Foundation to help raise $500,000 annual shelter funding requirements.
The Fur Ball Gala has a three-course dinner, dancing and auctions. It’s open to all ages above four, with spirits and wine to be enjoyed by those above the age of 21. The foundation encourages prom attire such as elegant gowns, cocktail dresses, tuxedos or nice suits.
“We have a really loving and giving community that cares a lot about their animals and also the welfare of animals in our communities,” gala chair Victoria McMurchie said. “It’s not only a celebration of what we’ve been able to accomplish for our general shelter population over the last year, but also a good call to action for what we’re looking to accomplish in this next year and years to follow.”
Tickets can be purchased online, starting at $300 per person and reaching as high as $10,000. Each ticket and sponsorship level includes valet parking.
Aside from continuing to fund the shelter, the gala also offers the opportunity to network with city officials and people in the community.
Pet Project Foundation partnered with the San Clemente-Dana Point Pro-Humane animal shelter, a no-kill shelter. It began around 40 years ago to provide and pay for all the husbandry, care and training of the animals.
“Every dollar we raise goes back to the animals,” said Denise Zolg, a member of the board of directors for Pet Project Foundation. “The more people that bring awareness to what we do, the more levels of support come in through volunteers, through donations — monetary or otherwise — all of that.”
Every year Pet Project Foundation aims to gather $500,000 to meet the minimum funding requirements of the shelter. Last year it made around $120,000 from the gala alone. The goal for this year’s gala is similar, at around $130,000 to $140,000, a little over one-fifth of the money the event organizers must raise. Any money raised will help to support a safe refuge for pets until they’ve found homes.
The history of the foundation started when a group of individuals in San Clemente gathered with city officials to decide how to best take care of the many stray and abandoned animals in their city. Following the gathering, the city and volunteers who went by the name FOSCA, short for “Friends of San Clemente Animals,” joined together to establish the first San Clemente Animal Shelter.
Around 40% of the shelter’s animals come from other shelters in the area. Members of the foundation and of the San Clemente-Dana Point Pro-Humane animal shelter go to other shelters that euthanize their animals and will retrieve as many of those animals as they can to give them a second chance at life. The shelter accepts not only dogs and cats but nearly all domestic animals, such as rabbits, birds and guinea pigs.
“If you want to get involved with an organization, you want to go to an event and know that the money for your tickets, for everything, is either covering direct expenses for that event or it’s going directly to the animals … that’s probably the best reason to go,” said Chris Pernick, the owner of Paws Pet Resorts and one of the sponsors for the event.
Other than the gala, Pet Project Foundation hosts a handful of other events such as “Santa Paws” and “Whales, Tails and Ales,” both of which are annual events. Other annual events can be found on the foundation’s website.
The foundation is still actively accepting volunteers and sponsors for the gala and for the shelter.
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