(Central Alberta Humane Society website)

By Alessia Proietti

Think paw-sitive!

Get lucky this Saturday night at the Lucky Paws Casino fundraiser for the CA Humane Society

Sep 5, 2023 | 4:37 PM

Red Deerians can get lucky this Saturday night because PAW-sitivity is a guaranteed prize at this casino.

On September 9 starting at 7 p.m., the Central Alberta Humane Society (CAHS) will be hosting their first ever Lucky Paws Casino fundraiser at Westerner Park’s Harvest Centre (4847A 19 St.).

“It is a fun casino where you can play poker, blackjack, roulette, craps and have no worry about being in the dog house,” said Kelly Richard jokingly, Fund Development Coordinator for the Society.

Each ticket includes a free drink, appetizers, and $1,000 in “fun money” to start playing games. Additional fun money can be purchased and the more you win, the more you can enter a draw for three grand prizes.

Guests can also expect a selfie station, dancing, live music by local artist Dean Ray, Joe Whitbread as Master of Ceremonies, a silent auction, 50/50 cash raffles online and in-person, and a chance to play with surprise celebrity guests.

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Richard says while the goal is to attract 200 guests, they hope 300 attend the event.

As the Society is not government funded, she adds that large events are how they support their yearly operating budget of $1.4 million.

The Society (4505 77 St.) cares for a variety of animals like dogs, cats, bunnies, guinea pigs and even birds.

All animals are put up for adoption only after having completed any necessary surgeries, neutering, and dental work. CAHS has an inhouse animal clinic with two Registered Veterinary Technicians and a veterinarian on staff.

Other services offered include medical care and rehoming, lost and found, the PALS program which financially assists low-income pet owners wishing to spray/neuter their pets, a pet food bank, volunteering opportunities, educational initiatives such as school trips, birthday parties, summer camps, and PD Day camps, dog licensing for the City of Red Deer, cremation services, a retail store, and more.

The Society also helped during the evacuation of Northwest Territory residents by housing 19 dogs through their emergency boarding program.

READ: Central Alberta Humane Society provides over 1,800 pounds of food to pets of N.W.T evacuees

While the facility can hold up to 90 cats and 26 dogs, Richard says the demand for their services has increased over the years. She says they currently have a waitlist for their pet surrender program.

The CAHS adds there is a concerning increase in pet abandonment including animals left in abandoned homes and apartments, left in dumpsters, and even tied to power poles at fast food places and outside their facility. A recent example is a dog that was left by their dumpster a few weeks ago, needing to be placed in isolation as he had mange, a skin disease caused by mites.

However, the moral of the story is not one of sadness, but of hope, she says.

That dog today, named Bo, is happy and healthy, ready to be adopted into a new home.

While guests will be hoping for luck at casino night, some may say it is the animals that experience true fortune at the Society.

“We’re more than just a rescue; we are a community builder,” she said. “This event is going to be fabulously wonderful, and we would love to have the community’s support by joining us for this fun event.”

Tickets can be purchased online.