The Madison Oglethorpe County Animal Shelter (MOAS) raised $50,000 at its 11th annual Bark & Wine — doubling the size of last year’s amount — at just the right time.
“Very excited,” board president Danielle Burgess said. “We changed a couple of things to try and make it better, and it seems to have worked.”
MOAS raised $25,000 at last year’s event and $20,000 in 2024.
Saturday’s event was sold out — it was capped at 200 tickets — and had a wait list of 15 people. This is the first time in three years that the event has sold out.
Bark & Wine was previously held at the Historic Smithonia Farm and offered 300 tickets. This year, the event was held at Countryside Manor, a smaller venue.
“At Smithonia, we had to have our auction downstairs,” Burgess said. “It was a bit more difficult for some of our older participants, but I think being on one level has helped this year.”
The shelter has been open about its financial struggles this summer. MOAS treasurer Steve Ledford explained MOAS’ situation at the Oglethorpe County Board of Commissioners meeting on Aug. 3, saying the shelter was expecting to have a deficit of $39,000 by the end of the year.
The commissioners voted unanimously to give MOAS $13,000.
“Inflation is hard on everyone, but especially on animal shelters where we just don’t have any ability to absorb those big expenses,” board member Sherrie Hines said.
Funds raised during the Bark & Wine will go toward operational expenses and medical processing for animals.
“We hope that people realize how important their support is, and that events like these and donations truly help us keep the doors open,” Hines said.
A majority of funds raised at the event were from a live auction, silent auction, 50/50 raffle and through ticket sales.
“We usually raise several thousands in the silent auction and live auction,” Ledford said. “It’s a big part of our annual income.”
Sponsors from Oglethorpe County, Madison County and Athens contributed to the success of the event. Individual donors also provided items for the silent auction, such as gift baskets and art.
“Individuals put those together with things they have or they’re donating,” Ledford said. “A lot of it is directly coming from artists who are contributing their work.”
Linda Kelly from the Kelly Family Foundation presented a check for $5,000 during the event.
“My favorite part is to see the people, and to see all the supporters gathering from all different walks of life,” Burgess said.
Tickets included a dinner provided by Carrabba’s Italian Grill, live music by Nathan Sheppard, and a complimentary glass of wine, beer or a non-alcoholic beverage.
Director Juli Huth and attendees who fostered animals were recognized during the event.
“I want people to gain the understanding of the hard work that Juli and the staff do at the shelter,” Burgess said. “Their No. 1 goal is to make sure that animals are taken care of.”