Although rainy weather threatened to put a damper on the event again this year, the sixth annual Four Paws Food Pantry Dining for Dogs and Cats went off largely without a hitch as hundreds of volunteers and supporters from Tellico Village and Loudon County, some with their favorite four-legged friends in tow, descended on the Toqua Golf Course pavilion to raise money for the purchase of dog and cat food for pets of needy families.
“The weather was wonderful,” Linda Walter, Four Paws president, said. “We were so worried — I was so worried anyway — I was just going to be sick if it rained, but it was glorious.”
Walter estimated that 300 people participated in the event this year, which included an all-you-can-eat buffet of hot dogs and condiments, a silent auction, musical entertainment and door prizes.
Despite chilly and damp conditions last year, the 2014 event raised about $4,600 for Four Paws Food Pantry, which provides pet food for local residents through a partnership with the Good Samaritan Center of Loudon County.
Walter said that once final tallies are made, she thought funds raised during the event will eclipse the 2014 mark.
“We’re pretty confident that we did; that’s a good thing,” Walter said about breaking the fundraising total from last year.
Chris Britton, vice president with the organization, said people who attended the event this year were pleased with the Toqua Golf Course pavilion as the new location for the fundraiser. Last year and in previous years, Dining for Dogs and Cats has taken place at the Tugaloo Drive beach pavilion. While parking was a minor concern this year at the new location, a volunteer donated a golf cart to transport people to and from the event.
“We have been getting lots of nice comments about the pavilion, our new location,” Britton said.
Gail Johnson, with Miss Pebbles Pet Care in Lenoir City, said volunteers with Four Paws do “good things” for pets and the community.
“We do a lot of stuff to try to help the furries,” Johnson said. “We heard about this and thought it might be something to get involved with. ... It’s a nice day outside, and the fur babies (pets) are allowed to come. That’s great.”
Since its inception in September 2009, Four Paws has delivered more than 182,000 pounds of dog and cat food, and the nonprofit is approaching $100,000 in the total cost of pet food that has been donated in six years.
During the event, about 500 hot dogs were consumed, and the nonprofit organization used gift cards that were donated by local grocers to purchase the hot dogs and other food. The silent auction, which raised about $1,300, included a pair of denim jackets, handmade purses, an oil painting, coupons for massage parlors and local restaurants, wine and whiskey baskets, a rocking horse, an afghan made by a Four Paws volunteer and other items.
Walter, leading the Dining for Dogs and Cats event “spokesdog” Charlie, a 10-year-old American Cocker Spaniel, said she was “thrilled” by the “absolutely fabulous” participation from the community.
“The Lord pulled through for us today and did not let it rain on our parade,” Walter said.
