MONTEGO BAY, St James – After a three-year hiatus, the Montego Bay Animal Haven is ready to dance the night away with animal lovers at their Fur Ball charity event on Saturday at the Wharf House in Reading, St James.

According to the managing director of Montego Bay Animal Haven Tammy Browne, Fur Ball is held to not only increase public awareness but to raise financial support for the hundreds of animals they care for.

Browne told the Jamaica Observer West that with the effects of the novel coronavirus pandemic still lingering around, Animal Haven is desperately trying to keep its doors open.

“The goal of the event is to try and raise enough money to pay off vet bills and our feed bill but also to be able to establish a tour – Hiking with the Hooligans,” Browne said in a recent interview.

Hiking with the Hooligans, if it becomes a reality, will see the Montego Bay Animal Haven establishing an attraction on 23 acres of land in the cool hills of Hanover.

She told the Observer West that the tour is set to educate and introduce visitors to a different side of Jamaica as they aim to incorporate their animals in the hikes.

“We have a lovely river that goes through the property. It also has a waterfall and little pockets of pools with a lot of vegetation and plant life there. It is a little rocky, but it is so beautiful, so once you hike you can go dip into the cool stream afterward. It is just beautiful, and if you do that with 100 dogs, it is like an empowering feeling,” said an enthused Browne.

A good turnout and support of Saturday’s event will make Hiking with the Hooligans a reality for Animal Haven as it seeks to sustain itself and subsequently keep the animals fed.

“Based on the situation we are in right now, if the haven does not produce something that can bring in a revenue, we will have to close our doors,” Browne admitted.

“We are already turning animals away because we don’t have the finances to pay for vets. We are really stretched so our last desperate hope is that we can do the hike and that will be something that’s not just available for people visiting Jamaica but for locals and schools to come to see a little bit of untouched Jamaica.”

Pointing out that Animal Haven made it possible for 144 stray dogs to be sent to Canada last year, Browne is hoping that “visitors will start adopting the others as well” after experiencing the proposed tour.

Additionally, she said, “It would be a great way to show people that Jamaica is not just a beach. There is a lot more to it, and this can be an educational place for kids to come and interact with animals.”

Browne told the Observer West that Saturday’s staging of Fur Ball is expected to be a fun-filled night in aid of the animals. Though a “fancy dress” is not required, the managing director is counting down the days till she dresses up to go frolicking by the cool Wharf House.

“It is a very magical venue. It is right on the sea and it is just so beautiful. There is ample parking for our guests and a fancy dress is optional. Of course, I am going in a fancy dress because I don’t miss any excuse to dress up. It is just going to be a lot of fun,” Browne said.

After such a long break from the charity event, Browne believes that the fund-raiser will be far superior to previous years as many sponsors have jumped on board to support the Animal Haven’s dream.

“I think it is going to be better this year because we have had such a long break that a lot of people are now helping us. We have some really good gifts that have been donated and we have some incredible auction gifts. There is one that I will be vying for: a trip to Costa Rica,” she said.

A ticket for the event costs US$100 or $15,000, Browne said.

“It includes drinks, food, and just great partying. We have DJ Quan coming, so it is just for everybody to come and have a really good time.”

In addition to the silent auction, there will also be a raffle during the ball in which patrons can win a weekend at Sandals and a week at Da Sugar House in Exuma, Bahamas.

Browne is passionate about her quest to keep the doors of the Montego Bay Animal Haven open as they seek to spread compassion across Jamaica.

“I think the haven isn’t just set up for the betterment of animals in Jamaica, it is set up to teach the people of Jamaica compassion. It is not that we work solely to improve the lives of animals, we go into communities to educate people,” she argued.

“We set up a huge spray and neuter programme all over the country and there are hundreds of thousands of regular people all over Jamaica who love their pets that benefit from this,” said Browne.