‘Sheauxing’ Heart
Robinson’s Rescue to name top dog at show
The annual event will be 6:30 to 10 p.m. March 7 at RiverView Hall in Shreveport. All proceeds from the event go toward continuing Robinson’s Rescue’s mission of reducing the overpopulation and euthanasia of cat and dogs in our area through low-cost spay and neuter services.
“We have [spayed and neutered] over 33,000 animals as of just a few weeks ago. We have seen a tremendous increase in our SSNIP program – subsidized spay/neuter incentive program – in Caddo Parish and our rural SSNIP. That’s an income qualified program, but we’ve seen a tremendous increase in that because of our outreach efforts,” said Robinson’s Rescue President and veterenarian Dr. Andrea Master Everson. “There’s also been a decrease of intake in euthenasia in Caddo Parish, so that’s exciting. We have increased our volunteers, and have really been working towards growing our target programs. This events funds us to be able to do our low cost fees for our services.”
Candy Peavy, chairwoman for Best in Sheaux, is proud of what the event does for the community. “This builds a lot of excitement for the organization. It’s been so rewarding to see the increase in crowd every year, and so we are able to raise larger amounts of money which translates into more services for the community that really can’t afford the spay/neuter services,” Peavy said. “We are able to subsidize more surgeries for more people and animals that need it. We have finally gotten some documentation of numbers of animals that are being picked up by animal services and those numbers are going down. Number of animals going into the shelters are decreasing, and that’s a direct result of this huge spay/neuter initiative. We really try to target communities areas that are in dire need.”
Peavy said Best in Sheaux 2015 promises to be even bigger and better than past years. “This is our sixth anniversary for the event, and the dog show has really grown. I feel like the dogs this year are showcasing so many different stories, and different community members are really egging on the voting and the competition. I feel like it’s really increased in popularity this year,” Everson said. “Everyone is out to win Best in Sheaux this year!”
This year, people are able to vote early for their favorite dog on the Robinson’s Rescue website with payment through PayPal.
“Whomever wins the runway is because of people’s choice – there’s no judging, people must buy votes. They can buy as many votes as they want, and stuff the ballot boxes for the dog of their choice,” Peavy said.
Each vote for a competing dog is $5. “The main prize is they are featured in next year’s Robinson’s Rescue calendar which is a $500 value, they get a trophy and bragging rights, and are the year-long ‘ambassadog’ for the year,” Peavy said.
Not only will the dog show provide fun for attendees, food will be provided by Southern Fork Catering, Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator is set to emcee, and there will be a silent auction as well.
“The silent auction has three wonderful trips that are a new addition this year. One is to Napa Valley epicurean adventure, another is a Kentucky Bourbon Trail trip, and the third is a spa trip to Sedona, Ariz., where you will stay in a private home,” Peavy said. “Also new this year will be the custom dog homes and cat condos that will be available. Vintage Construction and PREVOT Design built the dog houses, and the cat condo was built by two local artists – Bruce Allen and Jim Hayes. Also available is the George Rodrigue silk screen print ‘Three Amigos,’” Peavy said. “Last year we also had a barrel full of different bottles of wine, and we will be doing that as well. We’ve had people asking if we were going to have it again!” Everson is excited for the event this year.
“In order to set the low cost for the whole community we have to fundraise to support the overhead. It’s working, we are seeing a decrease, but there are so many animals still out on the street. We just look forward to everyone coming out to support us.”
-Mandy Byrd
Want to go?
Tickets for the Best in Sheaux are $75, and there are a limited number of tables still available for $1,000. For more information, or to purchase tickets or vote for a favorite dog, visit www.robinsonsrescue.org.
