Mutts & Martinis is Saturday; dinner/auction will finish dog sanctuary

Local residents are invited to join Rotts of Friends Animal Rescue on Saturday, June 23, at 6 p.m. for the second annual Mutts & Martinis gala dinner and auction.

The evening will feature dinner catered by Merchant & Main of Vacaville, California wines and, of course, martinis. Guests will be entertained by a rescue dog parade and police K-9 demonstrations and are invited to bid on silent auction items, participate in a raffle and join in the fun at a live auction conducted by local auctioneer Joe Gates.

Live auction items include a purebred AKC-registered Rottweiler puppy complete with free lifetime obedience training classes, three front-row seats behind the plate at a San Francisco Giants game, a diamond solitaire necklace, a beat-the-heat weekend at beautiful Lake Tahoe, a river rafting trip for 10 people, a golf package and 80 bales of alfalfa.

The fundraiser takes place at Yolo Canine Academy, 34505 County Road 29 in Woodland, near the Yolo County Airport between County Roads 94 and 95. Tickets are $100 per person and may be purchased online at www.rottsoffriends.com or by calling Renee Lancaster at (530) 681-1326.

The $40,000 raised at last year’s Mutts & Martinis Gala enabled Rotts of Friends to raise the roof on a new 26,000-square-foot dog sanctuary. Proceeds from this year’s event will go toward completing the plumbing and electrical in the interior of the building as well as the continuing care of the dogs.

Once completed, Rotts of Friends Animal Rescue, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization — will be able to double the number of dogs rescued, rehabilitated and placed in forever homes. Since February 2009, Rotts of Friends has rescued and found forever homes for more than 640 abused and abandoned dogs.

“Please join us for ‘Rotts of fun’ or make a donation,” a news release said. “Saving just one dog won’t change the world, but surely it will change the world for that one dog.”