- October 31, 2024
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Although Barks and Brews, a monthly mixer of people and dogs, is a fundraiser for Nate’s Honor Animal Rescue, Nate's volunteer Katherine Hall said there’s a bigger purpose.
“It’s more for the exposure,” said Hall, who lives in the Lake Club. “People see the puppies and they’re like, ‘Oh my God, I want a puppy!’ So then, they go to Lorraine Road (Nate’s shelter location) and adopt one.”
On Aug. 13, volunteers brought two 3-month-old puppies, a brother and sister, to The Green at University Town Center for a "luau paw-ty." Cory and Camden are a mixed breed, but heavy on black Labrador retriever.
The energetic duo taught the volunteers a lesson.
“These are the biggest puppies we’ve brought, and they can jump over the fence,” volunteer and Palm Aire resident Lisa Mathews said. “Now, they’re on leashes just in case they do a jailbreak. Normally, they’re too little to get over the fence.”
Volunteers set up a mini petting zoo situation with a short, closed-in pen, so it’s easy for guests to interact with the puppies. But a lot of the guests on Aug. 13 were preoccupied with their own puppies and dogs.
Some of the dogs ended up soaking wet from the sprinklers, like Bernard, a 4-month-old golden retriever. Others watched the action from their seats, like Jasper, a 2-year-old Shih Tzu mix.
Jasper didn’t need to splash around in the water to cool off. His owner and Sarasota resident Kel Phillips lined the bottom of his rolling carrier with ice packs.