News & Events

The Animal Mission’s Party Animals Concert and Silent Auction Raises Record $114,000

The Animal Mission, a non-profit support group for The Columbia Animal Shelter, is pleased to announce that a record-breaking $114,000 was raised during the Mission's annual one-night fundraising event, Party Animals, held March 2 in Columbia.  

Net proceeds from the event, approximately $95,000, will support The Animal Mission's continuing free spay/neuter initiative—but in a much bigger manner!  Free spay/neuter vouchers will be included in March water bills to approximately 120,000 City of Columbia water customers. These vouchers can be redeemed at the HSPCA for a free pet spay/neuter or at participating veterinarian offices in Columbia for discounted rates based on the redeeming vet's pricing.

"In 2006, The Animal Mission purchased over $26,000 worth of spay/neuter services for Columbia's pets.  That averages out to 742 spay/neuter surgeries.  We hope to triple the number of redeemed vouchers in 2007 based our March water bill initiative," stated Jim "Soni" Sonefeld, President of The Animal Mission.

Money raised at Party Animals will also go directly to the care of the shelter animals as well as to abandoned farm animals, which live in the shelter's barnyard.  The Animal Mission will also continue to heavily promote cat and dog adoptions.

"While many private shelters turn animals away, the City shelter never does; therefore, increasing adoptions is paramount. The good news is that over 2,000 pets were adopted from the Shelter in 2006. That's thousands more than any other shelter in the Midlands and up by 17% over the prior year. But the public needs to face the hard fact that adoption is not enough. Spay/neuters are the most effective way to keep the numbers of homeless pets from growing exponentially," said Elaine Gillespie, 2nd Vice-President of The Animal Mission.

"This year, we saw a record amount of money raised, thanks in part to our generous sponsors such as South Carolina Bank and Trust and Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina," said Marli Drum, Superintendent of Animal Services for the City of Columbia. "We are so pleased with the continued community support of this event because the spay/neuters it pays for will slow the growth of Columbia's pet population. Currently, Columbians are outnumbered seven to one by cats and dogs."

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Ashley M. Dusenbury
Director of Media and Public Relations
The Gillespie Agency, Inc.
803.779.2126 • ashley@thegillespieagency.com