Columbus Animal Care Services will have a night of drinks, dancing and fundraising for animals in need.
The CATalina Wine Mixer is a fundraiser for the Adoption Medical Fund at the Columbus Animal Care Services. All proceeds will go back to Columbus Animal Care Services with an emphasis on its Adoption Medical Fund. This year, a portion of the proceeds will go to a fund to build a new shelter facility.
Director of Columbus Animal Care Services Nicohl Birdwell-Goodin explained there is often a misconception about the funding of the organization. While the city of Columbus does fund the personnel, vehicles and animal control services, it does not fund any animal care. This includes food, toys and leashes or any medical attention animals may need.
Wendy Elwood, host of the event alongside her husband Mark, has worked directly with Columbus Animal Care Services for over five years. In that time, she has fostered many cats to help alleviate overcrowding at the shelter, but one stuck with her. The cat, aptly named Kitten, was originally brought into the shelter after a bad accident left him with broken bones. The Adoption Medical Fund financed three surgeries and three casts for Kitten, saving his life.
“He’s fine now, and I fostered him for a bit, but he’s a foster fail,” Elwood said. “I adopted him after fostering him.”
With shelter capacity and need being at an all-time high, there is an expectation to save as many animals as possible. This means more clinics for spaying or neutering animals and more general medical care are needed. While the Moonlight Loop, Columbus Animal Care Services’ other fundraiser, does contribute to the adoption medical fund, the funds it raises are not enough to acomodate the number of animals needing medical services, Birdwell-Goodin said.
Members of the Friends of the Columbus Animal Care Services committee, sisters Holly Kuznicki and Stephanie Heck, originally dreamed up the idea for the CATalina Wine Mixer. The “kitty committee,” as Elwood calls it, organizes the annual Moonlight Loop and the Mixer every other year.
“I’m a volunteer at the shelter, so I see what’s happening there and see all the help and money they need,” Heck said. “Holly and I knew that it had to be something impactful.”
The purpose of the event is to educate and inform the community about what Columbus Animal Care Services does in addition to fundraising. While they are similar to other local animal services, their focus is on providing medical attention, housing and animal control services to animals within the Columbus city limits.
Guests at the CATalina Wine Mixer can enjoy live music from the Indianapolis-based event band The Impalas. Food and drinks will be catered by local vendors including Boujie Brown Box, Lolly’s Pops and Tyler Mee. A 50/50 cash raffle and live and silent auctions will also take place at the event. Orgnizers anticipate over 130 guests will be in attendance.
This year, a portion of the proceeds will go toward a capital campaign called Fund the Need for the construction of a new animal shelter for Columbus Animal Care Services. The need for a new shelter was initially proposed in Mayor Mary Ferdon’s State of the City speech earlier this year. Still, the need has become more apparent as the number of animals needing housing and medical attention has increased.
“The building we use now is failing us,” Elwood said. “We’re really overcrowded and it’s no longer supporting our needs.”
The project is currently in the planning and design stage, but Elwood is hopeful to host a groundbreaking event for the shelter in early spring 2026 with completion in spring 2027.
Adults 21 and over can sign up for the event at getmeregistered.com/CATalinaWineMixer.
