TOPEKA, Kan. – Helping Hands Humane Society will hold its Warm Paws Warm Hearts Art Auction from Saturday, May 8, through Monday, May 18.
Helping Hands Humane Society says on Saturday, May 8, it will kick off an art auction in the Hill’s Room at 5720 SW 21st St. in Topeka. It said the auction will continue online until Monday, May 17, at 12 a.m.
HHHS said it will host the auction to benefit the 316 animals that are currently residing at the shelter and the thousand more it will see in 2021 to make sure they continue to get the best care possible. It said it got an unexpected gas bill of almost $20,000 after the cold snap in February and is losing hope that it will be able to raise enough money to cushion the blow and continue providing excellent care with the best resources.
According to the Shelter, the community has stepped up and shown support and it would like to keep the momentum rolling. It said local artists have donated their work to be auctioned off at the “Warm Paws, Warm Hearts” event.
HHHS said Kris Saia, the local artist that came up with the idea of the auction, said, ” I noticed the Facebook post about the shelter’s wildly high heating bill, and my heart just sank. I can’t imagine receiving such an unexpected blow to the budget. I usually have one or both of our HHHS dogs laying under my drawing table while I paint, and it occurred to me that maybe the Topeka art community could help. I talked to a couple of friends, who talked to THEIR artist friends. We reached out to Grace and are so pleased with how she pulled this show together in a jiffy!”
“An essential part of providing care to lost and homeless animals is keeping them warm in the winter and cool in the summer; this fundraiser will help cover the cost of protecting hundreds of animals during the intense February winter storm,” said Grace Clinton, HHHS director of business development and special events. “It’s so exciting to us that local artists want to band together and help such a vulnerable population. The quick response from our community has been astonishing!”
HHHS said participants will need to register to make sure they can bid as soon as the pieces are up for auction. It said the art can be seen in person during adoption hours from May 8 through 16.
