Until Wednesday morning, I had no idea the Paw Ball existed.

As a newcomer to Selma I am always amazed to hear about some of the new and creative ways groups are able to raise money for a worthy cause in this area.

After speaking to Julie Lyons, I have to say this one sounds like a winner. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals. I guess it comes from having so many around as a child.

It was well known in our neck of the woods that we would not turn down a homeless critter. Unfortunately, there were many times we would come home to a stray that had been dumped in our yard.

In between the strays, we also adopted a few pound puppies as well.

The lesson I learned from all of this is every town needs a suitable facility for people to take pets they can’t take care of and every facility needs public support to give these animals a chance to find a family.

A trip to the pound should not be a life sentence for these animals. They didn’t do anything wrong. Mrs. Lyons pointed out yesterday that many times pets are dropped off out of frustration. The animals are difficult to train and some people just don’t have the patience. So, they decide pet ownership is not for them.

One of the goals of the Central Alabama Animal Shelter is to someday raise enough money to offer obedience classes for these animals. If they can offer the classes, the number of dogs left at the shelter will drastically decrease.

Our local shelter has a very forward thinking attitude when it comes to shelters. They aren’t just concerned about the animals they have, they are interested in the animals they could have in the future. Of course, all of these plans come with a price tag. That’s where we come in. The ball will take place at Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. and tickets are $25 each. Just buying a ticket will be a huge boost for the shelter. But, keep in mind there are other opportunities as well. If you know someone who has a birthday, graduation or anniversary coming up there will be some great gifts on display during the silent and live auctions. Having a good time and saving yourself a shopping trip is not a bad deal at all.

Tickets are going fast for the Paw Ball, so act fast if you want to be part of the fun.

You’ll have a good time for a great cause.