NEENAH (NBC 26) — The Neenah Animal Shelter has a small team that cares for animals until they can find permanent homes.
The shelter, which has been around for 61 years, is currently taking care of more than 100 animals. But care, including medical expenses like spay and neuter procedures, is costly.
"We have over 100 animals in our care. Despite our small shelter — we have a mighty team that does really great work, and we depend on our volunteers and staff and fosters to care for that number of animals," said Executive Director Cindy Flauger.
That's why the shelter is hosting Furry Flurry 2023, the 13th iteration of its largest fundraising event of the year.
Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m., Furry Flurry is coming to Riverside Park in Neenah.
Last year, the event raised more than $28,000. This year, they're hoping to get more than $30,000.
"Every animal leaves our shelter vaccinated, spayed or neutered and microchipped, so the cost of all of those for each animal is over $250 just for those basics. And then when you add on those extraordinary costs, $30,000 is huge," Flauger said.
During the Furry Flurry event, there will be a costume contest, music and raffle events leading up to a pet walk. There is also an ongoing online auction right now.
“What impresses me about our shelter the most is that we do the most we can for the animals and care for them as best we can. And the staff and volunteers just genuinely love them. So, when we have the opportunity to raise funds to ensure we can continue doing that. We put our heart into it,” Flauger said.
Furry Flurry is a family-friendly event — and that includes your furry family members. All the proceeds will go toward helping animals.
"We encourage everybody in the community to come out and just join our pet walk. It's a beautiful day. It's a beautiful venue. It's a wonderful cause. And it's just a, you know, couple hours of your morning to support our animals," said Flauger.
For more information about the event and the timing of different events, you can visit Furry Flurry 2023 on the Neenah Animal Shelter website.
The shelter is also always looking for help — whether that's staff or volunteers. For information on how to get involved, you can visit this link.
