Jackson Animal Care Center hosts third annual Fur Ball

By Hannah Gore

Special to The Post

The Jackson Animal Care Center hosted the third annual Fur Ball in Downtown Jackson on April 13. 

The event gives community members and organizations the opportunity to fundraise for the local animal rescue center here in Jackson.

This year’s Fur Ball was themed after the roaring Twenties and hosted at The Stella, an event space housed in a building erected in the 1920s. 

The location was a hit in light of the theme of the event. In the spirit of the era, attendees donned their best attire to fit the theme of the evening. The event featured a charcuterie-style buffet dinner, dancing, and even a pet parade where Jackson Animal Care Center rescue pets were shown dressed in their own 1920s style outfits and accessories. 

Guests were also able to take a break from the action happening by stopping by the outdoor cigar bar, which was offered by Stix and Smoke Cigars. This year’s Fur Ball also featured a whiskey pull that served as another opportunity to raise money for the Jackson Animal Care Center. 

This clever fundraising activity was a nod to the 1920s Prohibition-era and guests enjoyed the chance to support the event’s cause in exchange for a premium bottle of whiskey. The gala event provides more than just a fun evening out, however. 

The annual Fur Ball is the Jackson Animal Care Center’s largest fundraising opportunity of the year for the organization. The funds raised through the event go directly to helping the organization pay for the medical expenses of the animals that they rescue and rehome. 

While this is only the third year that the Fur Ball has been hosted under the Jackson Animal Care Center, the event was held annually many years prior while the organization was still under the name of the Jackson Humane Society. The Jackson Animal Care Center is a municipal animal shelter that seeks to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome every animal that comes through their doors by pairing them with loving and responsible owners. 

The Jackson Animal Care Center is also a no-kill shelter that does not euthanize unless an animal is in injured or ill to an extent that cannot be solved by veterinary treatment without further causing the animal to suffer. Jackson Animal Care Center director Whitney Owen spoke on the mission of the shelter during a brief speech at this year’s Fur Ball. 

She assured the guests that the choice to euthanize is never made based on whether an animal is unable to find a home or their time runs out. Instead, the shelter is committed to helping each animal through veterinary care and rehabilitation so that they can find forever homes, no matter how long it takes. 

Owen also spoke on how important the funds raised through the annual Fur Ball are crucial for making sure each animal at the Jackson Animal Care Center is able to receive medical care that can not only improve their quality of life, but potentially save their life.