Every two years, the site of the Animal Shelter of Martha’s Vineyard’s Garden Party fundraiser changes locations. So do the animals who attend the event, as alumni of the shelter frequently pay a visit. Expect to meet several alumni dogs, along with alpacas and Tony the Pony creating artwork.
This year’s location is the Daggett House, located at 59 North Water street in Edgartown. The party takes place on Monday, June 26 from 5:30 to 8 p.m., hosted by Marty Nadler and Louise DuArt. A committee of 20 volunteers and the shelter’s three full-time employees have worked tirelessly behind the scenes, coordinating donations, refreshments and live musical performances.
“This is a big shindig. We’ve been preparing since winter,” said Lisa Dawley, the animal shelter’s manager. As she spoke, Teddy, a hound dog mix, paused his backyard exploration at the shelter to prop himself up in the window behind her, his glistening black nose pressed against the glass.
The organization is the only animal shelter on the Island, taking in strays and pets whose owners are no longer able to care for them. Animals range in species and age, with many older animals coming in, a direct result of the Island’s large elderly population, Ms. Dawley said. As people age they often can no longer take care of their pets.
The advanced age of the some of the animals, plus the fact that the organization is a no-kill shelter, keeps expenses high. Veterinarians from around the Island are needed to provide necessary medical and end of life care.
The Garden Party is the shelter’s largest fundraising event each year, bringing in an average of $80,000. Tickets are available to the public by purchase with a suggested donation. At the event there will be a live auction beginning at 7 p.m., with available items ranging from a National Geographic trip to the Galapágos Islands, a weekend trip to Boston, bushels of oysters, a dogwood tree and paintings created during the benefit by humans (Meg Mercier) and animals (Tony the Pony).
A virtual auction is currently underway, continuing through June 27.
The shelter uses 100 per cent of ticket proceeds and money raised from auction items to fund its medical, food , supplies and other expenses. It relies on a constant flow of smaller, more frequent donations throughout the year to subsidize its other operating costs.
Almost all the animals are eventually adopted, Ms. Dawley said. The shelter has a revolving door of animals coming and going and sometimes sees a turnover rate as high as weekly. Currently, it is home to two bunnies, a litter of kittens and their mother, and, of course, Teddy.
“We are here for the whole community and for all the animals on the Island,” said Diana (Dinny) Dozier, one of two living founders of the animal shelter and president of the board. “We couldn’t do this without the community, either. It’s all the community embracing the beautiful animals — finding forever homes for them.”
Aside from caring for the animals in residence, the shelter also provides services to pets across the Island. During the year, it hosts rabies and spay and neuter clinics, supplies owners in need with pet food and animal medical attention, and acts as an emergency resource for anyone on the Island with pets.
“Once they come into the shelter, they have hit the jackpot,” Ms. Dawley said. “We are lucky that we are a small enough shelter that we can treat every animal like our own.”
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