The Foothills Humane Society’s annual Animal Fair garden party was held Sunday, May 6 at Maude Carr’s Hidden Hollow Farm. The brain-child of Betsy and Dee Miner, the event, now 10 years old, attracted 170 guests, who relaxed poolside under the tents and enjoyed a buffet lunch after visiting the animal exhibits.
The theme this year was “Rescues and Happy Endings” and featured rescued animals from the shelter in their forever homes.
“Even the weather cooperated,” said Emily Clark, board chair for FHS. “We appreciate our hard-working volunteers, contributors and supporters who made this event another huge success.  I especially want to thank the Friends of the Fair for donating goods and services again this year: Costco, Tryon IGA, Four Winds Florist, McKinsey Printing, Renee DuVall Catering and Blue Ridge Wine and Spirits. Event Rentals of Spartanburg was a new sponsor this year.”
Honored animal guests were LL Cool Chang, a Pekinese who was found as a stray, blind and starving, and brought to the shelter to die. He was taken home as a hospice foster, but with loving care, and the company of six rescued Greyhounds, he bounced back to life.
River, a rescued wolf dog, lives at the Full Moon Wolf Dog Sanctuary and earns his keep by visiting schools and fairs to show what good citizens wolves can be.
Kat, a former race horse, despite winning more than half a million dollars in purses, ended up starving here in Polk County. She was rescued by the Foothills Equine Rescue Association program of the Humane Society, nursed back to health and is living out her years happily munching grass.
The Animal Fair also featured the second North Carolina Mounted Infantry re-enactors, who set up their encampment and donned their uniforms to help commemorate the 150th anniversary of the War Between the States. Six soldiers and officers and four horses put on the show. Two of the horses were rescues who now are happily doing their new jobs.
An unusual guest was the African tortoise that was bought at a pet store as an exotic, but the unsuspecting owner was not told these animals grow to 250 pounds and live to be 150 years old.  When the owner tired of it, and a dog injured it, the tortoise was rescued. It is hoped that its broken clavicle can be repaired or a little wheel can be affixed to the shell to enable it to get around when it is bigger.