Thanks to all of our friends and supporters who ‘raised the woof’ with their furry friends, this year’s BISSELL Blocktail Party was the best yet with more fun and more funds raised to save lives.  On June 13^th, nearly 1000 party goers and their furry friends braved the heat to enjoy a spectacular summer evening at Mangiamo! while generously supporting BISSELL Pet Foundation. While the weather was hot, the fundraising was even hotter with a record $677,000 raised.  This year’s event was considered the most successful on many levels, with fundraising surpassing previous years and the Grand Rapids community fully embracing the foundation’s mission. 

The night went to the dogs with pooches dining on tasty ‘yappetizers’, drinking from oversized dog bowls (and even lounging in them!) and posing for pictures, while their human friends enjoyed food from local restaurants and took home amazing silent auction items.  Mangiamo!, the generous host of the event and avid community partner, was ‘paw-sitively’ decked out as a pet paradise because this party is all about the pets!

It was a ‘paw-some’ time for all!  Friends with two and four legs enjoyed tarot card reading for dogs and the pet bandana making station. “America’s Veterinarian”, Dr. Marty Becker, was back in the (dog) house signing books and sharing wisdom.  Local favorite, Chris LaPorte, created incredible caricatures of our best friends and the ‘puparazzi’ from Terpstra Photography captured the evening with beautiful images.

BISSELL Blocktail festivities and fundraising kicked off with a Sponsor Party on June 12^th.  Top sponsors dined and danced as Michael Cavanaugh of Broadway’s ‘Movin’ Out’ performed a special, private concert and party-goers took home one-of-a-kind live auction treasures.

The fun and success couldn’t have happened without you! We are so grateful to our friends, sponsors, volunteers and supporters who attended the Blocktail events or made a contribution.  Our community has generously supported Blocktail for over a decade, making an incredible impact on homeless pets. We are challenged each year to raise more money to fund the lifesaving work of our partners and our fantastic supporters came through again!  We are thrilled by this year’s success and are grateful for everyone who made it possible!