Humane Society Silicon Valley Holds Seventh Annual Fur Ball

MILPITAS, Calif., March 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- "Top Hat and Tails" is this year's theme for The Fur Ball, Humane Society Silicon Valley's annual black-tie fundraiser that will celebrate 81 years of bringing people and pets together. The event will be held Saturday, April 17, from 6:00 – 11:00 pm at California's Great America.

The Fur Ball is an elegant evening where guests can attend with their animal companions in a "free-flow" atmosphere. Guests enjoy wine tasting, "Mutt-inis" at the ever-popular Martini Luge and scrumptious hors d'oeuvres from The Party Helpers. Guests will savor a magnificent sit-down dinner from Maggiano's Little Italy and wine from Bonny Doon Vineyard. La Fondue will be on hand to dish up their dreamed-about decadent chocolate and Silver Moon will provide a sumptuous array of liqueur-infused sorbets. Lissa Kreisler, 94.5 KBAY radio personality, and Craig Herrera, Emmy Award-winning NBC Bay Area meteorologist, will share the spotlight as co-hosts.

HSSV President Christine Benninger says this year's theme, "Top Hat and Tails," pays tribute to the glamorous 1940's Hollywood icons, and celebrates all the ways our own animal "stars" touch our hearts and enrich our lives.

Benninger says HSSV's award-winning humane education programs will be highlighted in a video montage that will illustrate how HSSV's Education Department reaches and engage thousands of youth each year with highly interactive, student-centered and age-appropriate programs. 

"These vital education programs take place in our amazing new Animal Community Center, one of the first environmentally-certified animal facilities in the nation to offer an adoption program with a full spectrum of pet and community services under one roof," Benninger explains. "Our unique Center allows us to engage the public with programs and services never before provided by an animal welfare organization. As a result, we are strengthening the bonds between people and their pets as we moved toward our ultimate goal to eliminate pet abandonment, unnecessary euthanasia, and to increase people's commitment to their pets."

During HSSV's 81-year history, the nonprofit organization has found homes for more than half a million animals. "As we embark on a new era in our history-making Animal Community Center, we will continue to be a life-enriching destination for people and their pets.  And most importantly, we will be a place of hope -- where our mission to save and enhance lives is fulfilled every single day," Benninger says.

The Fur Ball Event Highlights for guests include:

• Walking "The Red Carpet" with their animal companions
• Teaching their dog a quick new trick, courtesy of A DOG'S LIFE
• Delving into their dog's psyche with the help of a pet psychic
• Enjoying innovative art-based entertainment by popular artist Jodi Carr  
• Bringing home a fetching watercolor portrait or professional photograph of their beloved canine companion (s)
• Dancing the night away with their animal companion to the lush, Big Band stylings of the Lyratones

A silent and live auction will round out The Fur Ball. Attendees can bid on everything from a seven night luxury vacation package on the Big Island of Hawaii to a trip to Paris that includes staying in a posh apartment just minutes from the Louvre.

Funds raised through The Fur Ball support crucial and vibrant HSSV programs. Tickets are $250 per person, standard tables of ten are $2500, and Top Dog VIP tables of ten are $5000.  Advance reservations only. For ticket information, or to make a donation, call 408.262-2133 ext. 131.  For more information, visit www.thefurball.info/.

Sponsors for The Fur Ball include: Toeniskoetter Family Foundation, Royal Canin, Bonny Doon Vineyard, The Whole Pet Vet Hospital & Wellness Center, Bloomsters, DogsDigGreen.com, Silver Moon, Danny Thomas Party Rentals, Kathryn Kennedy Winery, La Fondue, and Maggiano's Little Italy.  Media partners include Gentry Magazine, 94.5 KBAY Radio and NBC Bay Area.

About Humane Society Silicon Valley  

Humane Society Silicon Valley (HSSV) is an independent, non-profit agency offering quality adoptions, medical care, education programs and pet care services to enhance the human-animal bond.  HSSV is an "open door" shelter and accepts animals 24-hours a day, seven days a week, regardless of any temperament or health related problems.  Additional information about HSSV can be found at www.hssv.org.  

SOURCE Humane Society Silicon Valley