'Yappy Hour' begins at 5 p.m. on July 27 at the Deerfield Inn.
They’ll be raising money and it’s all going to the dogs at the “Mutts and Mojitos” fund-raiser being hosted by Champney’s Restaurant and Tavern at Deerfield Inn on July 27.
The event, featuring a buffet dinner for humans and optional doggie chow for their four-legged friends, will raise money for the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office Regional Dog Shelter in Turners Falls.
The signature “Dirty Dog Muttini” will be served up beginning at 5 p.m. for “Yappy Hour.” The festivities will continue under a party tent adjacent to the Deerfield Inn.
While the humans enjoy the buffet dinner, dogs can dig into “Champney Chow,” made from chicken and rice, and “K-9 nice cream,” made of pet-friendly honey yogurt and banana.
Deerfield Inn Innkeeper Jane Howard said “Mutts and Mojitos” is a great fit for the inn.
“I am a great animal lover and that’s one of the things that we care a lot about here,” she said. “Hunger, and homelessness and animals – those are the kinds of areas of community giving we support here.”
The Inn held similar fund-raisers for the Greenfield Area Animal Shelter, before it merged with the Dakin Pioneer Valley Humane Society and later closed. The last fund-raiser was held in 2009.
Now, the new Franklin County Regional Animal Shelter will be the beneficiary of the public’s support.
“The sheriff’s assistant sheriff, Leslee, just found this tremendous need – animals being abandoned, tied to fences, animals being abandoned in state park areas for whatever reason,” Howard said.
“They opened with grant money, and since May 2012, they’ve found homes for more than 75 dogs.”
The space is small, and the volunteers who staff the shelter are hoping to provide the dogs with more opportunities to run outside. They also need funds for dog supplies, food, and to cover general upkeep.
“They just have more of a demand for finding forever homes for these sad dogs than expected,” she said.
Howard said the Inn now has a great space to host an event like this, after renovations were completed in the wake of Hurricane Irene damage.
“The space has always been there, but it’s been underutilized,” she said. “Now we have a completely redone space, and whenever we can, we’ll do events for things we care about.”
Howard said the fund-raiser should be a fun evening.
“It’s an opportunity to be silly,” she said. “The sheriff will come along and award prizes – maybe the dog with the smelliest breath, the dog with the floppiest ears, the dog with the biggest smile.”
The event will also include a silent auction, including an overnight stay in one of the Deerfield Inn’s dog-friendly rooms. The prize will include tea, breakfast and dog treats.
“All the money from the buffet and the silent auction will go to the animal shelter,” Howard said. “I have 300 tickets and I want to sell them all.”
Howard said dogs are encouraged to attend. Admission for dogs is free; the doggie dinner is $5.
“Now we have this space for people to come out and have a good evening, eat with their dogs and do something for other dogs that aren’t as happy as theirs,” she said. “I want to make poodles of money.”
Dogs are asked to be kept on leashes and owners are responsible for cleaning up after dogs.
“Mutts and Mojitos” takes place from 5 to 8 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $25 per person at the Deerfield Inn, 81 Old Main Street, Historic Deerfield, or at the Sheriff’s Shelter, 10 Sandy Lane, Turners Falls, or by calling (413) 774-5587.