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from September 2, 2021

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A night for the animals at ‘Music in the Pines’

BY FRANCESCA SAGALA

When Petey the dog first arrived at the Michiana Humane Society (MHS), he was in trouble. “He went home healthy - and he’s in his happy second chance forever home,” she said. During the Fund-a-Paws portion of the event, guests could raise their

“Petey was this sweet little dog that came in and he was so, so sick - he was so eaten up with mange and a host of other problems that in the old days he would’ve just been euthanized,” Allison Goldberg, president of the MHS Board of Directors, said.

Allison was speaking to a crowd of animal lovers who were gathered on the sprawling acres of her and her husband, Jeff’s, home, Whispering Pine, hidden away in the woods along Krueger Road in Union Pier at Music in the Pines, this year’s signature event for MHS, Saturday, Aug. 28.

Petey was not euthanized, Allison said. It’s one of the many aspects of MHS that its board and staff members pride themselves in: It’s a no kill shelter.

“But one of the things we have accomplished is we send 98 percent of the animals that come through our doors out alive - so that’s quite an accomplishment,” Allison said.

Allison said everyone at the shelter “put out a call” to their friends and neighbors. Soon, they had raised enough funds to help Petey. paddles to make a straight donation to Petey’s Fund, which was created to treat special animals like Petey who come into the shelter. In the last year, Allison said those who work at the shelter discovered that Petey’s Fund has taken on more importance. During the pandemic, owner surrenders have been “through the roof.” People who’ve adopted pets during this time have had to give them up because they were already hard hit from the effects of the pandemic and couldn’t afford to Clint and Cassandra Francis celebrate care for their Clint’s 70th birthday at Whispering Pines animals when they got sick. Recently, a dog showed up with the highly contagious parvo virus, which resulted in everyone in the surgical unit being isolated – which meant “we couldn’t do our spays and neuters, because it’s the only space we have,” Allison said. An outbreak of ringworm that was caused by a cat that came in contagious required animals to be isolated in the surgical unit the animals were healthy enough to return to the cat population. In addition, everything had to be disinfected. Allison credited

The Newports entertain at Music in the Pines

Paul and Kim Ballam with Jack and Barb Semens at their lawn set up

William Gibson, Steve Jenkins, Tom Chiola and Harvey Tucker enjoy cheeses at their lawn set up The crowd gathers on the lawn surrounding Whispering Pines

Mixing and mingling on the deck of Whispering Pines

The crowd dances into the night to The Newports

Allison and Jeff Goldberg welcome everyone to their home, Whispering Pines Meg Whitner enjoys the evening with Olivia, a rescue dog

Johanna Humbert welcomes everyone to Music in the Pines

Karen Edwards, director of shelter management, for leading the effort.

“We need some help with Petey’s Fund, we need to be able to help these animals because when they come in,w they haven’t been taken care of, they haven’t gotten their vaccines, they’ve got heartworm, they have all these diseases that should’ve been eradicated,” Allison said.

In addition to donating to Petey’s Fund, guests could also bid on several items during the live auction led by auctioneers from Sheerer McMcCulloch Auctioneers.

Guests who had purchased VIP tickets enjoyed food from Jackie’s Café in New Buffalo and The Grove in Union Pier at tables on Whispering Pines’ spacious deck. Other guests enjoyed their own spreads on blankets and small tables they’d set up on the lawn. Best in Show in the lawn set-up competition went to Rich and Eileen Kochanny for their bistro-style set up (complete with an Italian meal from Mario’s in Union Pier).

During and after the meal, guests could enjoy live music from The Newports.

Johanna Humbert, executive director of MHS, said that the shelter cares for 1,000 or so animals each year.

“Our mission is to enrich the community by giving pets and the people they love a second chance - and all proceeds from tonight’s event will help us do that,” she said.

With an annual budget of around $670,000, the shelter’s caring staff and volunteers provide shelter, food, basic medical care, and vaccinations. MHS is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization relying solely on private donations and receives no tax funds to help with its work.

The shelter is located at 722 Indiana Hwy. 212 in Michigan City.