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Submitted Photo The event will be held on July 23 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will boast multiple kids activities, food, music, $10 rabies vaccinations, free nail trimmings and professional pet portraits by Marty Boone.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of the Cashiers Highlands Humane Society and they’re inviting the community to come help them celebrate at the return of their annual open house event.
This will be the first time in two years that the Humane Society will hold its open house due to the effects of COVID-19.
The event will be held on July 23 from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. and will boast multiple kids activities, food, music, $10 rabies vaccinations, free nail trimmings and professional pet portraits by Marty Boone.
“It’s a family friendly event,” Cashiers Highlands Humane Society Executive Director David Stroud said. “We’re going to have some fun stuff. We’re still putting together some last-minute plans but I think we’re going to have for kids, we’re going to have face painting, and we’re gonna have temporary animal tattoos. We’re going to have some sidewalk chalk, bubble wands, Giant Jenga and we’re going to have cornhole. It’s just going to be a real family friendly event. We’ll have hamburgers and hot dogs, and we’ll have some music. And it’s just, you know, in pre-COVID we just do so many off-site adoption events called ‘Stop and Adopts,’ and this is the one time of the year we actually encourage the general public to just come spend an hour or so with us.”
This year’s open house will also act as a celebration for the Humane Society’s 35th anniversary and will include discounted adoption fees in addition to the other festivities.
“Because of our 35th anniversary, we’ve done a price promotion for our adoption fees,” Stroud said. “So, I would imagine that we will do a lot more than usual adoptions on the 23rd because all the adoption fees will be $35. Normal adoption fees are $100 and then for our seniors and our long-term residents, that we call our hero pets, those fees are discounted to $50. So, $35 really represents a substantial savings for all animals.”
Stroud encourages all members of the community to come out and enjoy the celebration and the beauty of the society’s grounds.
“I want them to come in and enjoy what we have here,” Stroud said. “We truly have one of the most picturesque, no kill shelters anywhere. We are frequently complimented by visitors who compare our facility to their shelter in their hometown and, and we almost always get high praise, and the community should take great pride in that because the residents of this community, whether it be the full time, or the second home residents have made all of this possible. And I think they should take great pride in the fact that you know our little piece of paradise there is a world class Animal Shelter.”
The event will be free, but donations to the Humane Society will be greatly appreciated.
“It’s totally free,” Stroud said. “If someone wants to give us a donation to have their pet portrait made by Marty, that would be wonderful and very much appreciated. But it’s totally free. The only thing that we’re going to raise money for is we’re going to have a couple of gift baskets that we’re going to raffle off. They’re going to be pet themed gift baskets and we’ll probably sell raffle tickets probably for $1. But that’s really the only thing that they would need to spend money on. The food is free, the admission is free, and adoptions are reduced. With inflation and everything else, it’s tough times for everybody right now and this is a way to just do something that’s family friendly, pet friendly that’s no cost. And it’s going to be a lot of fun.”
- By Kaylee Cook