Auction today to help pets and owners

A new, nonprofit animal welfare group working to help struggling Utah families keep pets fed and cared for hosts a fundraising art auction Saturday in Salt Lake.

The Friends for Animal Care and Effective Solutions will hold their "Prints for Paws" auction of original work by Utah artists today in the Industrial Supply Conference Center, 1635 S. 300 West, from 1 to 4 p.m.

FACES organizer Rudy Thompson said his group is working closely with Salt Lake County Animal Services to fill a gap for Salt Lake Valley residents who are faced with tough decisions about providing for necessities while continuing to care for family of a four-footed variety.

"With the economy being what it is, many Utahns are finding it hard, if not impossible, to care for their family pets," Thompson said.

Thompson's group is already distributing pet food to families who need help, with support from local businesses, including two pallets of dog and cat food donated by Associated Grocers. Shawni Larrabee, director of Salt Lake County Animal Services, said the work being done by FACES is helping to keep pets out of shelters.

"Until FACES was formed, pet owners who couldn't afford food and basic needs for their pets had no option but to surrender them to animal services," Larrabee said.

Saturday's auction will include paintings, prints, sculpture and jewelry, all donated by Utah artists.

In addition to providing pet food, FACES helps with basic veterinary care and is working to fund a Disaster Animal Rescue Transportation Vehicle that will be dedicated to responding to emergencies in which pets are injured or abandoned.

Additional information on FACES can be found at www.utahfaces.org.

E-mail: araymond@desnews.com