An all-terrain vehicle ride, a utility task vehicle raffle, a dog show, a fun run, a car show and a dog swimming event have been conducted in the past year to help build the Jackson County Dog Shelter.

The recent second annual Battle for the Badges basketball tournament also had proceeds go toward the shelter.

That bumped the total raised to more than $70,000. To get the facility the 20-member dog shelter committee wants, it will take $200,000.

That group is hoping to reach the halfway point with the second annual Fur Ball, set for 6 to 11 p.m. March 4 at Pewter Hall in Brownstown.

Tickets are now available from committee members or at This Old Guitar Music Store in Seymour and Brownstown Veterinary Clinic. They are $40 per person, $70 per couple or $275 for a table of eight.

Capacity for the event is 450, and organizers expect it to sell out.

“We’ve had people ask before we were selling them, ‘Make sure you save me a table’ because the building was almost full last year,” said Debbie Hackman, a member of the shelter committee.

For last year’s inaugural event, 442 tickets were sold in a month’s time, and nearly $24,000 was raised.

“It was so much fun to put it together, and that night was so much fun for everybody that we decided that we’re going to do this, we’re committed to doing this even after the shelter is built to raise funds for either the shelter or for local spay and neuter programs, wherever the money is needed,” Hackman said. “If we can increase the spay and neuter rates, then we won’t have all of those stray dogs, either.”

This year’s event again will consist of dinner, dancing, door prizes and live and silent auctions. TOG Band again is donating its time to provide live music.

Hackman said the auction will include autographed sports memorabilia and a guitar signed by Seymour native John Mellencamp. Donations of auction items will be accepted until the morning of the event.

“We would like to have more donations for the auction,” Hackman said. “We had folks last year that we didn’t know that were calling and giving us things. They were just donating because they believed in the cause.”

The drawing for the UTV also will take place at the Fur Ball. Tickets are $20 for one or $50 for three and can be purchased from any committee member or by sending a message via the Jackson County Dog Shelter Facebook page. They are selling 2,500 tickets, and about 500 remain, Hackman said.

If you can’t make it to the Fur Ball, tax-deductible donations may be made to the Jackson County Dog Shelter Fund at the Community Foundation of Jackson County in Seymour.

Read the full story in Wednesday’s Tribune and online at tribtown.com.