Pawstabilities Event Raises Funds for Homeless Dogs

Lucky donors were treated to a pasta dinner Saturday night during Pawstabilities, and fundraiser held at the . The event's proceeds went to Hearts For Hounds, a non-profit dog rescue that is saving to buy a new compound next spring in Virginia to network with its California operations.

"Dogs are just not being adopted in California right now," said Founder Bonnie Sheehan. "Many rescues have closed in the past six months." Sheehan started Hearts for Hounds in 1997, and decided that dog rescue was going to become her life's work. Since then, her group has found permanent homes for 17,000 lucky dogs.

Sheehan so far in 2011 has been able to place 400 dogs, but that is only three or four a week, down from her previous 20 or 30. "The bigger dogs are harder to place, so we are moving them to Virginia," she said. "And people used to want Yorkshire terriers and Chihuahuas but not anymore."

The entry ticket included dinner and a raffle with live entertainment by opera-singing magician Patrick Bell and cupcake dessert complete with a "scooby snack" dog biscuit. Palm Island Senior Activities Director Kevin Stevens and co-organizer Charmaine Wilkerson helped put on the event, and it was catered by Surf City Catering.

Hearts For Hounds has an "open kennel" event the first Saturday of each month, and also does outreach at the Alamitos Farmers Market for anyone who is interested in adopting a local dog needing a home.

Anyone wishing to donate to help local dogs and for more information, the public can log onto the Hearts For Hounds Dog Rescue website.

As Sheehan says: "Every penny counts."