The dog days of summer have arrived, and if you don’t think that’s something to howl about then you must have missed the annual shindig put on by the Denver-based animal welfare organization called .
The fun factor at Dog Days of Summer 2015 was off the leash.
Organized by a team of PawsCo volunteers and held July 10 at , there was a walkabout supper with treats that included pork belly sliders from Trillium, tamales from Lime and sweets from Lora’s Donuts and Bakery Shop; deejay music for dancing and a live auction called by master of ceremonies Mike Nelson.
Nelson, chief meteorologist at 7News, is the father of PawsCo president and chief operating officer Tiana Nelson, who founded PawsCo two years ago with Kristin Des Marais.
Des Marais, whose involvement with animal welfare dates back to 2004, when she established Four Paws Pet Center of Colorado, serves as PawsCo’s chief executive officer. Four Paws Pet Center of Colorado worked in tandem with the Denver Area Veterinary Medical Society to conduct spay and neuter clinics in underserved communities throughout the state.
PawsCo continues the spay/neuter effort, and also has foster care and adoption services and an ongoing pet food drive.
Felicia Diamond, who was at Dog Days of Summer with her husband, dentist Gene Bloom, started what was then called the Furry Friends Pet Food Drive during the economic downturn of 2008; it continues under the leadership of volunteer Andrea Fogel.
Tiana Nelson spearheaded the start of PawsCo’s adoptions element; Taylor Vitale volunteers as the adoptions coordinator. Nelson’s mom, Cindy, is PawsCo’s volunteer development director.
“We’re a nonprofit that’s run like a business,” Tiana Nelson noted. “Our 250-plus volunteers are here because we want to save as many companion animals as we can.”
Which in two short years comes to 800.
Joanne Davidson: 303-809-1314, jdavidson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/joannedavidson
