ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Benefitting the Lost Pet Services Inc. organization that helps reunite lost pets with their owners, the inaugural Pup & Cat Crawl fundraiser on Friday, July 26 raised $2,050 after expenses.
Friday evening’s four-stop fundraiser began at the Seafood Shack. Seventy pre-ticketed participants then boarded two Siesta Key trolleys and made their way to the Sandbar restaurant in Anna Maria, the Gulf Drive Café in Bradenton Beach and the Swordfish Grill in Cortez.
Each stop featured pet-themed drink specials, raffle drawings and 50-50 drawings. Some of the drink specials featured Tito’s Vodka because Tito’s is known as a dog-friendly company. Tito’s and several local businesses donated raffle prizes and some of the participating restaurants also served special appetizers.
Lost Pet Services Inc. board member Debbie Capobianco organized the event, working with organization founder and president Patty Giarrusso. Capobianco is a Realtor for Michael Saunders & Company and works out of the firm’s Holmes Beach office.
“It was a great event. The bars we visited were very generous, and they donated prizes for us to give away in our raffles too. We had so many raffle prizes donated that it took us over an hour to give them all out,” Capobianco said on Saturday.
“We also gave away our free microchips, as it is so important to have your dog or cat chipped in case they are ever lost,” Capobianco said.
Lost Pet Services Inc. provides location chips, name tags, missing pet flyers and helps spread the word about missing dogs and cats through its website and the Lost and Found Pets 941 Facebook group.
The organization also provides medical assistance for pets and assists in finding foster homes and/or new permanent homes for unclaimed pets.
“It’s a great organization. Patty started it all by herself, and I help with the fundraising,” Capobianco said, noting that Lost Pet Services Inc. has helped locate thousands of lost pets since it was founded in 2013.
You can report a missing pet, search for a missing pet, support the cause or learn more about Lost Pet Services Inc. at www.lostfoundpets941.com.
