For the first time, the upcoming San Diego Humane Society Fur Ball fundraiser won’t be going to the dogs. Instead, the stars of the show are two La Jolla cats.
The 38th annual Fur Ball planned for Saturday, Oct. 5, on the Humane Society’s campus at 5500 Gaines St., near the University of San Diego, will feature Coco and Amore, two Siamese cats who have lived in La Jolla all their lives with their owner, Norma Schwab. They’ll be on the program and invitation and will be mascots for other cat-related activities.
“I have liked animals my entire life and I have loved cats in particular,” Schwab said. “I’ve always had two Siamese cats. … I liked to have two so they each have someone to play with.”
When Schwab moved to La Jolla in the early 1980s, she made a point to connect with the Humane Society, donating items such as towels and money and volunteering her time.
“I liked being around that atmosphere, and my favorite thing was feeding the baby kittens,” she said. “You could hold them in the palm of your hand and feed them with a baby bottle. By going down there, I would meet people and become more knowledgeable about them and their mission. Anything they needed, I wanted to help with.”
That soon evolved into supporting the Fur Ball by buying a whole table and filling it with friends and family from across the country and bidding on auction items. Last year, Schwab won the auction to have her pets featured as the stars of a future Fur Ball.
“Every year, the star has been a dog. There has never been another animal as the star until this year,” Schwab said. “So we’re making history. … My thinking was that I wanted them to be the stars and let people know that pets don’t have to be a dog to be the star.”
Though Coco and Amore are generally low-key, Schwab said they’re the perfect ambassadors for the ball.
“Amore is a very quiet, cuddly cat,” Schwab said. “If you come into the house, she will cautiously approach you and let you pet her. When I sit at my kitchen table in the morning, she’s always right there with me.”
Coco is a little more guarded. “Coco is a very shy and cautious kitty cat,” Schwab said. “Until he gets to know someone, he won’t let you near him. His time with me is in the evening and at night. … Coco helps me when I don’t feel well. He’ll curl up next to me under the covers at night.”
In addition to being the poster cats for the Fur Ball, Coco and Amore will have their images on the sides of the mobile hospital truck that the Humane Society uses to travel around the county providing services to pets in need.
“Many people don’t realize all the Humane Society does,” Schwab said. “We want to help them help other animals, and I think that’s what we’re doing. My goal is to see the event raise $2 million to go back to the Humane Society.”
Humane Society Director of Philanthropy Alex Mares said the nonprofit organization is “so lucky to have Norma as our friend and a lover of animals. She has provided very generous support for the San Diego Humane Society. She advocates for us and spreads the word about our work far and wide and wants to inspire others to support us as well.”
Mares added that “we are thrilled to be able to celebrate cats at this event. It is a dog-friendly event, but the fact that we get to celebrate cats is really special for us, and we’re thrilled Norma’s cats can be the face of that.”
Donors “fuel the work we do,” Mares said, which includes veterinary care and behavioral rehabilitation and providing help to people who have a hard time feeding or caring for their pets.
“Community members can be proud to know their support goes to 40,000 animals a year,” Mares said. “In August, we had over 800 dogs in our care every day … so having community support is more important now to make sure they get the care they need.”
For more information about the Fur Ball and the Humane Society, visit sdhumane.org. ♦
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Publish date : 2024-09-09 06:01:00
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