Wet Your Whiskers for animals in need at Dox

The Long  Beach Humane Society’s Wet Your Whiskers fundraiser is back for 2022 after being on hold throughout the coronavirus pandemic. And it’s ready to help some cats longing for a home.

The annual event, taking place Saturday, Sept. 17, at Dox at 10 Broadway in Island Park, will feature food, beer and wine, live music, and raffle baskets, all in support of animals in need. Humane society volunteers and local businesses helped put the raffle baskets together.

At the same time, Norah Kelleher — one of the owners of Dox — said the eatery also will provide the shelter with a discount. 

The Long Beach Humane Society’s Kitty Cove is a non-profit voluntary organization that works to rescue cats at risk of euthanasia. They are almost completely cageless, providing felines with a temporary space for happiness and comfort until they are adopted.

The shelter is run by a dedicated group of volunteers who, between 4 and 7 p.m. that Saturday, will raise funds for those cats with Wet Your Whiskers.

“It is a nice group of people that come together, most of them are cat and dog people that love animals,” said Lisa Alter, the local human society’s treasurer. “They are coming from a good heart, and they know that their dollar is going to help an animal.”

The Long Beach Humane Society  started in 1976 with a mission, according to its website, to “rescue as many abandoned and abused cats and dogs as possible.”

The fundraiser started in 2015 after the shelter searched for ways to cover budget shortfalls for its cats and the supplies needed to care for them.

It’s since become a major event for the humane society, with advance tickets costing $40. Anyone waiting to show up at the door will have to pay $45.

Yet, all proceeds will be used to pay for animal supplies, including cat litter, food, cost of spay and neuter and more.

“The shelter depends on the community for its survival,” Alter said. “These animals depend on community support. It’s really a matter of if you want to see these animals taken off the streets and pulled out of kill shelters.

“We need your help to help them. We cannot do this on our own.”

Kelleher also runs her own group, the Dorothy Finn Foundation, that raises money to donate to local nonprofit shelters in the community. It’s also a supporter of Kitty Cove, tying in with the chance to give back to the community through her restaurant as well.

“At Dox, we love doing stuff like this,” Kelleher said. “This makes it all worth it.

“It is a good event for the community. You’re helping these volunteers who are giving their heart and soul to this project that helps get animals off the streets and into homes. The Island Park community is very philanthropic.”

Alter hopes this event not only raises money for the shelter, but also encourages more people to adopt — especially adult cats, which are nowhere near as popular as kittens.

“It’s very encouraging to see how many people support what you do and are willing to help,” Alter said. “Come to our event and talk to us. Have dinner with us. And then come to Kitty Cove and see who you fall in love with.”

To learn more about Wet Your Whiskers, visit LongBeachHumaneSociety.net, or call (516) 594-1721.