The doors had hardly opened at the Jan Rees-Jones Care Center on Sunday, January 28, when the two-legged guests were filling the center for the annual Paws Cause benefiting the SPCA of Texas. Along with area chefs from such restaurants as Salum, Parigi, Pink Magnolia, Cane Rosso, Whistle Britches and 3015 at Trinity Groves, Abraham Salum was serving vittles just across the way from mama pooch Missy, who was recovering from an upset tummy. The “7-year-old Cane Corso mix came into the SPCA of Texas’ care a couple of months ago, through our Animal Cruelty Investigations Unit. She was underweight, neglected, and had tumors on her body.” She looked longingly at guests with her one blue eye and one brown eye. BTW, her chief likes are chin scratches and giving kisses.”
While the music from Goga blasted throughout the place, pooches like Snow White, Chiloso, Ramba and Marlon chilled and gnawed on chew bones. Okay, so Tamale barked complaining that the humans were getting a big rowdy.
In the meantime, the 250 guests including Honorary Co-Chairs Marshal Pendleton Gray and Dr. Richard Gray, Sandra and Edward Melmed, Andrea Alcorn, Phyllis Comu, Sally Hoglund, Felicia Kerney and Steve Wilson enjoyed signature drinks “Purr-ple Ritas.”
Longtime volunteer Pat Price recalled how she had gotten involved with the SPCA over a dozen years ago when she was taking out a bag of stuff to the curb and asked a young fellow if he could help. He did. He turned out to be SPCA President James Bias, who in turn got her to start volunteering at no-kill facility.
Since that meeting Pat and her husband Sam have had many adoptive pooches. As the twosome headed home, she proudly added, “They were rescues.”
James down 40 pounds chuckled how when he had taken some of his former too-big slacks to a shelter, he was asked if he had lost someone.
Others guests included Sue and Phil John, Gigi Potter Salley, Rusty Dealey and Diane and Hal Brierley, who were still receiving condolences of the death of their beloved Labrador, Charley, on Thursday, January 25.
As the even went on, The Snyder Foundation’s Bobbi Snyder presented a challenge — “Give as little as $10 and we’ll match with $100!” Her reason was “the work the SPCA of Texas is doing in Southern Dallas, with the Mary Spencer Spay/Neuter and Wellness Clinic and across all programs and services, that she was moved to provide this match so that everyone at Paws Cause and beyond gets excited about donating to the SPCA of Texas.”
When one of the packages went for $5,000, that match ended up being $50,000. Needless to say, Paws Cause Co-Chairs Kristen Greenberg and Melissa Vullo Bell and SPCA Senior Vice President of Development Debra Burns were howling with happiness over the net of $193,500+.