Humane Society plans annual fundraiser

Palazzo's Cafe is the place to be for tea next Sunday.

At 4 p.m. today and March 19, the Columbia County Humane Society will hold its second annual Tea Fur Two event. Proceeds from the tea-time gathering will benefit the society's fund to build a low-cost spay/neuter clinic, dog park and shelter facility.

Tea Fur Two will be held both days at Palazzo's Cafe in Furys Ferry Station on Furys Ferry Road.

The event will feature an assortment of teas and pastries provided by Palazzo's Cafe, live musical entertainment, a Bow-Wow and Meow Market, which will include vendors selling animal-related items such as jewelry and accessories, and a silent auction.

"We've got all kinds of stuff for the silent auction, anywhere from different baskets, wine-and-cheese-type baskets, things for animals, birdhouses, a vacuum cleaner," said Humane Society President Donna Evans. "There's an array of stuff."

Tickets cost $25 each and can be bought at Palazzo's Cafe, Peachtree Boutique and Coming Home, all on Furys Ferry Road, at Liza Clays on Evans-to-Locks Road, or from any humane society volunteer during weekend pet adoptions at PetSmart on Robert C. Daniel Jr. Parkway. Reservations are not required, but a call to preregister is requested. Those wishing to attend the March 19 event should call Evans at 860-0751 or the Humane Society at 860-5020.

Evans said last year's two events were very successful, raising more than $6,000.

The society's immediate goal is $300,000 to build the clinic and dog park on nearly 14 acres of land on Columbia Road near Columbia Middle School. Evans said she hopes to raise $1.5 million in the long run for a permanent animal shelter with kennels so volunteers no longer have to foster animals in their homes. The shelter would also provide a central location for the public to see animals available for adoption, Evans said.

"We hope to be out there by the end of the year," Evans said. "That's our goal.''

The humane society has already raised $230,000. Evans said site plans have already been submitted to the county government for permits and humane society volunteers are working on a floor plan for the clinic.

"The clinic is the main thing," Evans said, adding that if not all of the money is raised, the society will get a loan for the remainder of the needed money while continuing fundraising efforts.

Evans said the clinic, when complete, should initially be open three days a week. But she said she hopes to see enough volume of spaying and neutering from the entire Augusta area to open it five days a week and make a profit that will go back to rescuing animals. Evans said the clinic will eventually make a big difference in the number of stray animals picked up by Columbia County Animal Care and Control, lessening the number that are euthanized and saving tax dollars.

For more information, call the Humane Society at 860-5020 or visit www.cchshumane.org. Donations can be made payable to the Columbia County Humane Society Building Fund, P.O. Box 204771, Martinez, GA 30917.