by Dennis Dalman
“Woofstock,” the 36th annual late-summer fundraiser for the Tri-County Humane Society, was a fun gathering for people and pets Sept. 7 in St. Cloud’s Wilson Park.
It was not only fun, with lots of fun activities, but it raised about $42,000, said Kate Kompas, communications manager for the TCHS. In an interview Sept. 9 with the Newsleaders, Kompas noted TCHS is still calibrating how much was raised by pledges and other donations but that the final count should be about $42,000, more or less.
That amount, she said, is, “needless to say, very pleasing.”
About 100 people registered and accepted pledges during the Woofstock Companion Walk in a neighborhood above Wilson Park, located on the east shoreline of the Mississippi River. Many more people who weren’t officially registered – and more dogs – showed up once the event opened at 10 a.m., Kompas added.
In the park, there were games for dogs, children and adults, as well as food and refreshment vendors. There was also a photo booth at which pets and people could get their pictures taken, arts-and-crafts, a reptile booth, a raffle and costume contests for both pets and people. Another feature was a micro-chip clinic for dogs at which micro-chips could be placed in dogs painlessly and inexpensively. About 22 dog owners chose to have their pets micro-chipped. The embedded chips are invaluable in locating the owners of lost dogs and other critters, such as cats.
The name “Woofstock” is a clever take-off on “Woodstock,” the famous “hippy” music festival that took place in New York almost 60 years ago. At Woofstock, many of the participants – people and animals alike – wear 1960s hippie garb such as tie-dyed fabrics, bells and beads, love symbols and so forth. Such items gave “Woofstock” a colorful, festive, almost carnival ambience.
The event took place on the 50th anniversary of the founding of TCHS. The annual Companion Walk is the second-largest TCHS fundraiser each year.
Funds raised help provide services for about 5,000 animals annually, many of them having been abandoned and/or abused. Each pet is evaluated, examined, given appropriate vaccinations and de-wormings, spayed/neutered, treated for ailments and injuries as needed, and given lots of TLC. There is no time limit for pets under care in the shelter. As long as they are happy and healthy, they remain as long as necessary to find the perfect match, a happy “forever” home.
Those animals would likely not stand a chance if it were not for TCHS’s dedicated staff and the tender-loving care they lavish on so many critters.
It’s never too late to donate to TCHS. To learn more about the many ways of how to help support the animals at TCHS, visit www.tricountyhumanesociety.org.
This little cutie was one of many dogs that participated in the Woofstock fundraising event Sept. 7 in St. Cloud.
