By MARGIE TRAX PAGE - Staff Writer - mtrax@starbeacon.com
Under black-lined lashes, Bella’s soft brown eyes show worry and stress.
Sometimes its hard to put on a brave face, especially if you are a dog.
Bella the German shepherd mix dog and the other 160 dogs at the Ashtabula County Animal Protective League don’t realize the trouble brewing on the horizon for no-kill shelter, as officials work to raise enough money to keep the shelter open into next year.
“The overcrowding and the immense cost of surgeries for each animal have put the shelter in a terrible financial place,” board president Nancy Warner said. “If we don’t raise $40,000 by the end of the year, the shelter could close.”
The financial news puts a shadow and pressure on the Boo-Wow Walk, which is the APL’s biggest fundraiser. Last year, the walk raised $24,000 for the shelter, Warner said.
“I can honestly say that without the Boo-Wow Walk, we would be closing our doors,” she said.
The Boo-Wow Walk will be held Saturday at Maple Ridge Golf Course in Austinburg. Registration starts at noon and the walk starts at 1 p.m.
“Maple Ridge is a wonderful location for the walk. Safety and parking were issues in past years, so this is a positive change,” Warner said.
The walk has been so successful, preregistration is now required.
“We have 400 slots and 300 are already pre-registered. Anyone can show up and register for the walk on Saturday, but only 400 registered people get treat bags,” Warner said. “The pledges bring in the most money for the shelter so if you don’t have a dog, consider sponsoring a friend in the walk,” she said.
The Boo-Wow Walk is a chance for pet owners to dress up their canine buddies in Halloween costumes and trick-or-treat their way through 16 stops on the Maple Ridge Golf Course.
This year, the event features bobbing for biscuits, professional pictures of pooches and their owners, doggie pedicures and the popular costume contest.
The costume contest categories are: Best human/dog pair, scariest, funniest and best group theme. Awards go to the top fundraisers.
The shelter has dropped the adoption fee for all dogs older than six months to $25. The sale ends on Halloween. Purebred dogs are not included in the sale.
All dogs are vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and come with a microchip for identification.
All cats are available at reduced rates Fridays and Saturdays at the Green Road animal shelter and Saturdays at the Ashtabula Mall location. Cats are $10 each and declawed cats are $15.
“We are doing all we can to alleviate the overcrowded conditions at the shelter,” Warner said.
All proceeds from the Boo Wow walk benefit the animals of the APL. Registration is $15 per dog. Top fundraisers will receive top prizes.
Registration forms are available at the APL shelter, located on Green Road in Kingsville or in the Star Beacon.
For more information on the shelter, the Boo-Wow Walk or a specific animal, call (440) 224-1222. Information and registration forms are available at www.ashtabulaapl.blogspot.com .
The shelter animals, including Bella, also are listed with pictures at http://ashtabulaapl.petfinder.org.
