Unleash Your Heart Gala returns to raise money for Cascades Humane Society

JACKSON, Mich. (WILX) - Residents came together in Jackson to help rewrite the stories of animals Friday in Jackson.

Hundreds of people attended the Cascades Humane Society’s annual Unleash Your Heart Gala fundraiser, but there was one Lady in particular who did not attend. That’s because she found her forever home.

“When Lady came to us, she came from a home where she was not getting the care she needed,” said Dr. Sarah Patrias. “She was on at least her second litter of puppies. And she was completely emaciated.”

Patrias has seen a lot of difficult things, but when Lady was placed in her care, she could not believe her eyes.

“Lady is the most severe case of heartworm disease that I have ever seen by far,” Patrias said. “The worst case that most veterinarians would even see in their lifetime.”

Lady lived most of her life chained up outside, neglected, and with little human contact. She was starving, lonely, and very sick.

“Lady would’ve died. No doubt in my mind,” Patrias said. “She wasn’t far off from that.”

But Lady didn’t die and Patrias was able to help her recover. Lady is just one story of the 1,400 animals that come through their doors.

The Cascades Humane Society is not federally, state, or locally funded. As a nonprofit, they depend on donations, which is why Friday’s event was so important.

“Individuals like those here, we could not do that without them,” said director Heather Leszczynski. “And I think that resonates with them also because they can see those animals in our care in their own pets.”

Without that funding, the shelter wouldn’t be able to save the animals that they do.

“It doesn’t end with the pets in our care,” Leszczynski said. “We really care about the community and their pets.”

Through donations, they’ve been able to start a new low-cost service through their spay and neuter program and continue to make sure there are happy endings.

Lady is adjusting to her new life with her new family. Her puppies have also found their forever homes.

More information on the Cascades Humane Society can be found on its official website here.

Read next:

Subscribe to our News 10 newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email every morning.

Copyright 2022 WILX. All rights reserved.