Monmouth County SPCA 'Fur Ball' Raises Record $450K

EATONTOWN, NJ — The Monmouth County SPCA held its 2023 "Fur Ball" gala last Thursday, June 8 at Shadowbrook in Shrewsbury.

This year’s gala honored Fran & Paul Turner and their commitment to supporting animal welfare. The Fur Ball raised nearly $450,000, a record-breaking event, and proceeds will provide compassionate care to thousands of animals in Monmouth County.

The Monmouth County SPCA headquarters are in Eatontown.

“The Turners have been instrumental in the support of our lifesaving programs and initiatives here at the Monmouth County SPCA," said Monmouth County SPCA Executive Director Ross Licitra. "We are so grateful to have them as friends of the shelter and we look forward to many more years of saving lives together. Their dedication to animal welfare is an inspiration to us all.”

The night started in Fran's "Cool Cat Lounge," where guests enjoyed an exquisite cocktail hour with an aesthetically pleasing and delicious array of passed hors d‘oeuvres and creative culinary stations.

Afterward, everyone gathered in the ballroom for Paul's "Hungry Like the Wolf" dinner party that captured a late '80s feel and ended with a full dance floor. Throughout the evening, guests were able to visit with adoptable puppies and kittens, plus meet some of the pets whose success stories have been made possible by their generous support.

Three live auction items finished out the program that included a tarot reading in a haunted house (back by popular demand!), a night at the Metropolitan Opera and a 5-night stay in a newly renovated, private hotel in Havana including 24-hour staff, salsa lessons and more.

The ballroom held the silent auction: Some of the more popular items included a Bruce Springsteen 5th Avenue Freeze Out framed print, a bee-keeping experience with a professional apiarist, several dinner and night out packages, a 10’ Pelican Trailblazer kayak, plus a variety of items for pets.

The 2023 Fur Ball Gala was made possible by the large amount of support of the event’s sponsors, specifically the 2023 Cat Bird Seat Sponsors, The Cooper Voccola Family Foundation and Kaseya.

The Fur Ball is the MCSPCA’s largest and most important fundraising event of the year and proceeds allow compassionate care for over 6,000 homeless and abandoned animals throughout Monmouth County and beyond. For information on any upcoming events, please email [email protected], call 732-542-0040 x7 or visit www.monmouthcountyspca.org

The evening’s program welcomed some memorable rescue animals like Mama, a discarded breeding dog who has since been adopted by her foster family; Luca, a 13-year-old poodle with a heart murmur left by his owners and recently adopted; and Matilda, the 5-month-old puppy left starving on the street whose story spread nationwide.

Guests loved seeing all of the highlighted animals in the ballroom, but the most memorable appearance was Matilda, whose transformation since being found just weeks ago was breathtaking. Matilda’s entrance earned a standing ovation with her new owner and long-time friend of the shelter, Robin Klein.