USPS Publication Number 16300
THE
SUMMATIONWeeklyy
This Community Newspaper is a publication of the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association
S E RV I N G T H E F I RS T J U D I C I A L C I RC U I T Vol. 26, No. 11
March 18, 2026
SummationWeekly.com
1 Section, 8 Pages
Section A, Page 1
FUR A GOOD CAUSE PENSACOLA HUMANE SOCIETY’S ANNUAL FUR BALL GALA
Photos courtesy of Pensacola Humane Society
By Bella Shields
I
f you are looking for a fun, family-friendly event that gives back to the community, Council on Aging of West Florida’s annual Kites on the Coast is for you! Featuring cocktails, a sit-down gourmet dinner, and entertainment, the night will be one to remember. But it’s more than just a glitzy ball. This event stands out from the others in the best possible way: attendance will directly support local animals in need. The Fur Ball is an annual event hosted by the Pensacola Humane Society as an opportunity for the public to have an exciting night out while contributing to a very worthy cause–the shelter pets under the Humane Society’s care. The Pensacola Humane Society is a nonprofit organization that has been operating for over 80 years now. It doesn’t receive any funding on a city, state or federal level, only directly making money off of adoption fees, which is not nearly enough to cover the animals they care for and the wide work they do for the community. “Last year, the Fur Ball netted approximately $175,000, so it’s our major fundraiser of the year,” Pensacola Humane Society Vice President of Development Mary Donovan McClellan said. From 2024 to 2025, the Humane Society had 943 intakes, performed 1,535 spay/neuter operations and
provided 13,023 pounds of food for pets in need. They showed results too, with 921 adoptions and a whopping 98.7 percent save rate for animals in their care. “The money that we raise goes towards giving each animal a chance from the time they come in the door till the time they leave,” McClellan said. The animals of Pensacola need the Humane Society, but the Humane Society needs community support to continue helping animals in our area. The Fur Ball is one opportunity for Pensacola to fill that need. Tickets to this event are $175, and all proceeds will go directly to funding Humane Society operations. Additionally, on the Humane Society website are sponsorship levels for the event, ranging from $500 to $20,000 for those who choose to donate beforehand. At the Ball, attendees will have the option of participating in both live and silent auctions. This includes a highlight of the night, the Bow Wow Meow Table Auction. The Bow Wow Meow Auction table is a 10-seat table piled high with wrapped myster y gifts provided by donors, with each tower of gifts totaling up to hundreds of dollars. The highest bidder, upon successfully winning the table, gets to sit at the table in the front of the room for the rest of the night, and of course gets to take home all the gifts.
“The items range from jewelry to books to gift certificates and novelty items,” McClellan explained. “One thing we’re doing this year is offering incentives for the people who donate to the Bow Wow Meow Table. We decided it would be nice to recognize them in a special way.”
any impulse adoptions, if attendees are interested in any of the puppies, they are encouraged to reach out to the shelter when the work week begins again to make arrangements. Whether you plan on finding a new furry soulmate or just making
some adorable memories, there’s something for everyone. If you enjoy a good party and want to support the Humane Society and its mission to aid animals in need, Fur Ball is the place to be. For tickets and event details, visit pensacolahumane.org. ■
“The money that we raise goes towards giving each animal a chance from the time they come in the door till the time they leave.” One of the incentives for contributors to the table is earning a place on the back of the Humane Society adoption van for their logo, getting advertisement for six to 12 months. Not only will this event raise money to support the animals under the Society’s care, there will actually be animals present at the event itself. The gala features a puppy parade during cocktail hour (which the event dubs “Yappy Hour”) when attendees are able to interact with puppies currently up for adoption. “We have our staff walking around as people are mingling with our puppies,” McClellan said. “They’re between the ages of eight weeks and three months and are so cute.” Though adoptions are not available immediately on-site to avoid
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