The second annual Rock the Cat’s Paw event this weekend will benefit Eden Animal Haven, a no-kill cage-free cat shelter in Brighton, just north of Springfield.
The shelter, established in 2013 by Leslie Sawyer, who’s current director, and Bill Stoll, allows cats to have quality of life – as least as humans see it. The shelter offers catios, which allow rescued cats to have access to the outdoors.
There’s currently room at the shelter for about 80 cats, but it costs money to rescue, house them and get them ready for adoption.
On Sunday, April 6, Eden Animal Haven will host the Rock the Cat’s Paw fundraiser for the hundreds of cats the nonprofit rescues and rehomes in the Ozarks.
A ticket to the event will include live music, dancing, games, a 360-photo booth and an auction.
The Beach Cats Acoustic, MoCandy and other groups will provide music. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.
Sawyer said 100% of the fundraiser proceeds go directly to the shelter.
“All the services, the venue, our musicians, all that are being donated and so people know that when they buy their ticket or play our multiple games for prizes, all of that comes back to help cats in need,” said Sawyer.
Those proceeds will go to support the rescued cats at the shelter houses at any given time and towards the other programs the shelter offers such as their spay/neuter, catch and release program and a foster program. The proceeds will also help the shelter help cat owners with spay and neuter fees.
Last year the shelter saved the lives of 450 cats, but without shelter funding, Sawyer fears things would go back to how it used to be.
“Animals were euthanized at a very high rate,” said Sawyer. “Unfortunately, what’s happening is there are just so many that if things don’t get under control soon, then what’s going to happen is that more and more animals are going to have to be euthanized just to control the population, which I don’t think anyone wants that to happen.”
To shelters like Eden Animal Haven, fundraising is more important now than ever.
Volunteer applications, shelter wish lists and donation links can be found at edenanimalhaven.org.
Rock the Cat’s Paw will be on Sunday from 2:30 to 7 p.m. at Springfield Elks Lodge #409, 2223 E. Bennett.
The event schedule as well as the link to purchase tickets can be found under the events tab on Eden Animal Haven's website.