A longtime staple event for the shelter, the North Beach PAWS gala dinner auction returns to the world of the physical on Saturday, Nov. 4 after a few years in abeyance due to the plague.
In addition to helping the shelter fund its ever-growing operational costs, it’s a good way to give back to the community with a fun, social evening, said shelter president and founder Lorna Valdez. The event starts with a silent auction at 4:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and the live auction at 7 p.m.
“We’ve always done silent and live auction,” Valdez said. “2019 was the last one we could do because of COVID.”
It meets the needs of both supporting the shelter through donations and sales, as well as offering an evening for the community to come together, Valdez said.
Cats play at North Beach PAWS on Oct. 21. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)
“It’s a good way to reach out to the community and let people know what we’re doing when they come, and help support the shelter,” Valdez said. “It’s been very helpful, every single year.”
Music, performers, live and silent auctions and more all await guests, Valdez said. Many businesses donated goods, art or services, such as weekend vacation packages, for the auction, Valdez said. “Many of the businesses in Ocean Shores have been supporting us since we started in 2002,” Valdez said. “A lot of the Grays Harbor companies support us too.”
The shelter itself began in 2002, hosting their first auction in 2004, Valdez said. The shelter has always enjoyed robust community support, Valdez said.
“People love to support us. We get a really good response,” Valdez said. “We’re very blessed in that way.”
Some of the longest-stay residents of North Beach PAWS look out of their kennel on Oct. 21. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)
While guests can bid on the auction items, the shelter sometimes also seeks sponsors for specific projects, Valdez said.
“Sometimes we’ll have special things in the program that they can bid on, improvements to the shelter,” Valdez said. “We’ve done that over the years.”
The shelter is currently grappling with the huge uptick in surrendered animals following the requirement by many corporations that workers return to offices post-pandemic.
“The influx of animals — we’re overwhelmed,” Valdez said. “We’re taking them from all over the county.”
The shelter has seen more than 1,000 cats go through its system this year, Valdez said. North Beach PAWS is also ramping up its fundraising campaign to build a new shelter on its property with purpose-built dog kennels up to modern best practices, an evolution from the shelter’s current offerings. The shelter’s current dog accommodations, which require a much larger footprint than cats, is a significant bottleneck in its operational capability, Valdez said.
“The new shelter is going to have 20 kennels,” Valdez said. “It’s already designed. We’ve done the surveys on the property.”
Tickets are still on sale for $45 at local businesses in Ocean Shores, including the Ocean Shores Convention Center, Ocean Sunset Drug, and at the North Beach PAWS garage sale that occurs every Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
“We have people from out of town that have summer homes that will drive here for this event. People come from all around to support us that night,” Valdez said. “We’ve tried to get as much word as we can out in the community.”
Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.
