Last Sunday, one of our local animal rescue organizations hosted a St. Patrick’s Day fundraiser. They chose a greenhouse as their venue, and although they were mostly confined to the lobby, with the amount of dogs and foster parents that were present they ended up taking over the entire building. My husband and I were skeptical about going, only because I have never been able to visit a shelter without leaving with a new family member. My own mother learned this the hard way when one act of volunteer work at the Humane Society turned into an adoption of a Saint Bernard named Dolly. I was worried that I was going to adopt a dog that day, while Geoffrey was worried that I was going to adopt a dog that day. Yet, we wanted to show our support for those animals that were looking for their forever homes. I put my own emotions aside for the afternoon, and we made our way over to the fundraiser.

What an amazing event. The volunteers had really put a lot of work into different ways to raise money for the organization. There were treats for humans and animals, merchandise, and a 50/50 draw. Each adoptable dog was dressed up in green and photographed individually for the website. The foster parents were all very friendly and encouraged you to ask about the available dogs even if you were not looking to adopt. The fact that the greenhouse also doubles as a pet store made it an even more fitting choice for a venue. My parents made it there before we did. Afterwards, my mum and I got to talk about which dogs we wanted to adopt. To my husband’s relief, we did walk away empty handed. I think the luck of the Irish was with him that day. He most definitely will not be so fortuitous the next time around.

Emory