By Stephanie Rubio

Staff Writer

  Valentine wrapped cookies, pet clothes and cards lined the table as numerous families filled into the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society on Feb. 10, for the Valentine’s Day Bake Sale and Big Dog Meet & Greet.

  “Thanks to everyone’s help, including the Gabrielino PAW Club, we were able to push through some rainy weather and raise some money for the animals,” stated Jessica Lopez, SGV Humane Society Social Media Lead.

  The Valentine’s Day Bake Sale is an annual event that the Humane Society hosts the weekend before Valentine’s Day to sell baked goods and give crochet lessons on how to make cat toys. Jessica Lopez explained that their monthly Dog Meet & Greet fell on the same day, giving families an opportunity to meet the dogs who are in need of a home.

 “This event is to reach out to local families and raise funds for our shelters. All of the money goes straight back to our pets,” explained Cynthia Talavera, the Volunteer Lead for Fundraising and Outreach. “These funds cover our day-to-day expenses at the Humane Society for our dogs and cats.”

  At 11 a.m., Wallie, a 15-year-old medium-sized black labrador, and his partner, a small furry dog named Cinnamon, along with 10-year-old husky, Norwood, made an appearance at the Meet & Greet.

  “Norwood stole everyone’s heart at the Meet & Greet and he was very calm around the kids and loved all the attention,” stated Talavera. “Huskies require a lot of attention and exercise, which is why it can be difficult to find them homes. Currently, all the dogs at the Meet & Greet are still up for adoption on the website.”

  All of the items at the sale ranged from $0.50 to $5.00, including items for all people from cupcakes, brownies and bread to vegan sweets. They also sold Valentine cards, jewelry, 2019 dog calendars, dog sweaters, and more.

  “Since the Humane Society is so small, this event makes a big impact with the money that we raise. Being able to volunteer through GHS PAW was great because we were working for a good cause,” stated junior Alison Tu, Gabrielino PAW member.

 Initially the bake sale was set to last from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. while the Big Dog Meet & Greet was from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. However, the events didn’t go as planned as halfway through the morning it began to rain. In order to keep everyone dry, the events ended early at 2p.m. instead of the planned 4 p.m.

  Over one hundred people attended the event in support and over $600 in total was raised.

  “People can support us with recyclables and purchasing through Amazon Smile,” said Talavera. “There will be a fundraiser in May and a Kitter shower coming up as well, all the information can be found on our Facebook or website.”