Over $50K raised in The Animal Foundation puppy raffle
Bidders raised over $50,000 for the The Animal Foundation during the raffle set up to find new owners for the 25 puppies that survived a January pet shop arson.
The raffle tickets cost $250 each, which is the top tier of the shelter’s sliding scale of adoption fees. In a normal circumstance, a dog’s adoption fee is based on how likely it is to be adopted, shelter spokeswoman Meghan Scheibe said. The fees start at $105 for less popular dog breeds and top out at these puppies’ $250 fee.
At 11 a.m. Tuesday, when the raffle closed, 222 tickets had been sold. That totals $55,500.
Every dog had multiple bids, some with as many as 30, Scheibe said. Adoption fees include spaying or neutering, a microchip, a bag of pet food and a free wellness check.
Winners of the drawing will be screened by the Animal Foundation and A Home 4 Spot.
Security video from the pet shop shows a woman let a man into the pet shop Jan. 27, where the man splashed kerosene onto the animal cages and lighting a fire. The video also shows the woman removing documents from the business. The fire sprinkler system put out the fire before it harmed any of the puppies.
Pet shop majority owner Gloria Lee and boxer Kirk Bills face 31 charges in connection with the fire. A trial date is set for July 7.
Contact reporter Annalise Porter at aporter@reviewjournal.com.
