St. Nicholas School has put a twist on school auctions: dogs on the block.
Two years ago, it was a designer goldendoodle, a combination golden retriever and poodle, that charmed the school’s patrons. Last year it was an Old English sheepdog that “fetched” more than $2,000.
This year the school is auctioning a Humane Education Society shelter dog named Bear, partly as a way to teach its students compassion and responsibility. Bear’s previous owner, society officials said, was a senior citizen with Parkinson’s disease who could no longer take care of him.
“We wanted a dog with a nice history,” said Bob Citrullo, executive director of the Humane Educational Society of Chattanooga. “He [Bear] has some potty training, and he is great with other kids and other animals.”
At less than 40 pounds and about 10 months old, Bear is in the statistical sweet spot for family adoption, Citrullo said.
During a school assembly at St. Nicholas last week, the Australian shepherd-mix was soaking up love. Elementary school students lined up to pet the gentle mutt. Some of the wary ones even stepped up once they sensed Bear’s sweet temperament.
A few of the kids were no doubt mentally rehearsing a pitch to their parents to bid on Bear at the auction – speeches that would invariably end with the word “pleeeze.”
“It’s been one of the most popular things in our live auction every year,” Shannon Edmondson, the school’s director of development, said of the inclusion of dogs. “When we were thinking of something that aligns with our values at the school, we immediately thought: a rescue dog.”
Mark KennedyView other columns by Mark Kennedy
Edmondson said the Three R’s at St. Nicholas are respect, responsibility and the Golden Rule.
“It’s a nice connection to talk about the responsibility to take care of a pet,” she said. ” We want to educate the students about our responsibility to animals, [and] what the [humane society] does in our community.”
The St. Nicholas auction is scheduled for March 16 at the Doubletree by Hilton on Chestnut Street in downtown Chattanooga. Bear will be auctioned alongside Cheesecake Factory gift certificates and Tennessee Aquarium tickets in what school officials say is one of their most important fund-raising events of the year.
Edmondson said there will be food, drink and dancing at the fund-raiser, along with the auction.
“It will be a party with a purpose,” she said.
Cydni King, an auction volunteer, added, “Our theme this year is ‘Playing it Forward.’ There are too many dogs that need wonderful homes.”
King said she and her husband used to buy purebred, pedigreed Weimaraners, but now only consider shelter animals as pets.
“We look at it [the auction] as a positive outlet for everybody,” Citrullo said. “We want to get homeless pets into homes.”
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645.