Enjoy the Bow Wow Meow Ball @home

The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hampton’s annual Bow Wow Meow Ball is happening at home this year.

The Bow Wow Meow Ball @home will celebrate the work that ARF does, while honoring its staff with the Champion of Animals award for their “selflessness and dedication to the animals and ARF’s mission throughout the COVID-19 crisis,” says a statement from ARF.

“Our daily behavior and enrichment programs continued without pause,” says ARF. “New technology and safety measures have allowed us to continue foster and adoption programs safely, at a time when people and animals have never needed one another more.”

The event will have no tent this year, no bar and no menu. But it will have 100% of funds raised go to support ARF’s mission to help the animals.

“The Bow Wow Meow Ball has always been special because it’s the one day of the year when ARF’s friends—those people whose generosity funds our work—are all together at ARF, seated at the heart of our mission,” says Scott Howe, ARF’s executive director and CEO.

Attendees of this virtual event can join ARF from the comforts of their own living room for an online tribute, which includes a parade of animals to start the program. The parade will be followed by entertainment from Isabella Rossellini, Robert Wilson and Christopher Mason.

Howe says that they aim to help ARF supporters feel connected to the “animals and all the dedicated people who carry out our mission every day. That’s the goal of this year’s event. We hope that the videos we are producing will tug at their hearts as well, in a gentle way, reminding them of special joy and comfort our animals provide us, especially now.”

Recently, ARF has distributed pet food to families in need. This will also continue with a pet food drive on Saturday, August 15, and with food distributed to families on Saturday, August 22. Those interested in donating can stop by the ARF Adoption Center in East Hampton from noon to 3 p.m. with unopened bags of cat and dog food (both wet and dry) and treats.

Families in need of cat or dog food can stop by a drive thru at the adoption center on Saturday, August 22, from noon to 3 p.m. Social distancing will be observed, and ARF requests that visitors wear masks and stay inside the car.

@home sponsorships start at $750.

The Bow Wow Meow Ball @home happens Saturday, August 15, at 6:30p.m. To register visit give.arfhamptons.org/bowwowmeowball.