By Annie Delfosse
On November 17th, well-dressed guests and their equally stylish four-legged companions arrived at the Drake Hotel for the 22nd annual PAWS Chicago Fur Ball. The Fur Ball is the no-kill animal rescue’s annual black-tie, pet-friendly fundraiser that hundreds of guests look forward to each year.
George and Amy Burin
The gala included many indulgences for guests and their furry friends. The pets, donned in their best outfits, received luxury treatment at the animal spa, where they could enjoy “pawdicures,” spritzes made for pets, and massages. There was also an extravagant dog buffet complete with rice and chicken, biscuits and pureed carrots in crystal glasses.
A very intrigued pup sniffing out the dog buffet
Equally exciting were the items up for auction. Guests were able to bid on prizes such as Billy Joel concert tickets, tickets to a dog-friendly Chicago Blackhawks game, Chicago stay-cation packages, tickets to see Niall Horan in concert, and more. All proceeds benefited PAWS Chicago.
Bonnie Spurlock, Karen McEniry, Sora Monachino, Anne Appel, Co-Chair Brook Jay, Iman Mathew, Shay Moinuddin and Hsing Chen
Aga Rhodes, Heath Kopp, Co-Chair Brook Jay, Chris Morris, Sue Morris
A special moment from the evening occurred during a game of “Heads & Tails.” 9-year-old J.B Smith received a $150 Visa Gift Card after winning the game and being the last one standing among more than 200 guests. After the game, a video exploring PAWS Chicago and its mission was played in the same ballroom. Smith was so moved by the video, she gave the gift card back, stating that the dogs and cats needed it more than her.
(L to R) Event Co-Chair Brook Jay, Founder and Executive Chair Paula Fasseas, and Event Co-Chair Karen McEniry
Event co-chairs were Brook Jay and Karen McEniry. Emceeing the event were the well known Sylvia Perez, Jake Hamilton and Natalie Bomke from FOX32 Chicago, as well as Chris Petlak from 101.9 The MIX. Every individual who had a hand in this event holds a strong passion for helping homeless animals- especially Paula Fasseas, Founder and Executive Chair of PAWS Chicago.
Jordan Fisher and Laura Sachs with adoptable pet Opal
Brady KISS FM and Rachel Martz with adoptable cat
Wayne Gailis, Pam Myerson, Bob Block, Renata Block, Jim Spurlock, Bonnie Spurlock, Michael Timmers, Nancy Timmers
The goal of the Fur Ball aligns with PAWS Chicago’s mission: to end pet homelessness and create a No Kill Chicago. This year was especially important, as there has been a recent surge in stray animals and owner pet relinquishments. There are a plethora of different reasons for this- life changes, financial hardship, etc.- and PAWS Chicago plays a huge role in providing care and shelter for these animals.
Wayne and Nan Kocourek, Presenting Sponsors
Kevin and Gina Strohl
Suze Glickman, Walter Jacobson, Ross Glickman
PAWS Chicago was founded in 1997, after Paula Fasseas and her daughter Alexis learned just how many homeless animals were euthanized in Chicago (more than 40,000 each year). The city was struggling with a high rate of homeless animals and had little to no medical resources to care for them. One adoption event kickstarted the evolution of PAWS Chicago. Called Angels With Tails, the event consisted of shops along the Magnificent Mile agreeing to display homeless animals in their storefronts in hopes of finding homes for them.
Laura Sachs and Paula Fasseas
PAWS Chicago’s Lurie Spay/Neuter Clinic was the first facility, opened in 2000. By providing free and low-cost spay/neuter services, the organization effectively began to reduce populations of homeless animals. This was achieved through targeting areas that saw high rates of stray animals.
Following the clinic, the Pippen Fasseas Adoption Center was born in 2007 on Clybourn Avenue in Lincoln Park. The adoption center was aptly named after the Fasseas’ dog- Pippen- who they rescued after learning he would be euthanized if he was not adopted soon. More recently, the Training Center and North Shore Adoption Center were opened in 2014.
Ramona Griffin and Alexis Fasseas
Since the founding of PAWS Chicago, the number of animals being brought into the city pound has been reduced by almost 70%. In 2022, PAWS performed over 15,000 spay/neuter operations. The overall euthanasia rate across Chicago has dropped by over 90%. Since the beginning of it all, PAWS Chicago has facilitated over 82,200 animal adoptions. It wouldn’t be possible without PAWS Chicago’s outstanding medical center and their partnership with Chicago Animal Care and Control, in which the organization pulls sick and injured animals from the city pound and provides medical treatment until they are adoptable.
It also would not be possible without the countless staff, volunteers, fosters, shelter partners and good samaritans who contribute to PAWS Chicago’s mission of ending animal homelessness. PAWS Chicago truly saves lives every single day, and the Fur Ball is only one of many fundraisers that both contributes to and celebrates that mission.
Fasseas tells us, “The success of Fur Ball year after year is very inspiring- seeing so much love, support and generosity for our mission of a No Kill Chicago.”
Current PAWS adoptable dog, Tracy
Current PAWS adoptable cat, Lena
To learn more about PAWS Chicago’s work, visit pawschicago.org
All photos provided by PAWS Chicago
