Emancipet’s 18th anniversary luncheon May 15

Emancipet will celebrate 18 years of serving pets and their people and share the organization’s vision for the future at their annual luncheon on Monday, May 15 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel.

More than 500 supporters, community leaders, volunteers, and philanthropists will attend the luncheon, Emancipet’s largest annual fundraising event. Tables and sponsorships are available; individual tickets will go on sale April 17. Sponsorships and tickets can be purchased at emancipet.org/events/luncheon/.

Emancipet’s mission is to make veterinary care affordable and accessible to all pet owners. Emancipet owns and operates a growing national system of low-cost pet health clinics in underserved neighborhoods and now has locations in Austin, Pflugerville, Killeen, Houston, and its first out-of-state clinic, newly opened in Philadelphia.

KXAN’s Emmy Award-winning chief weathercaster Jim Spencer will emcee the event. Emancipet CEO Amy Mills, who has become a sought-after speaker in the international arena of animal welfare and social change, will be the keynote speaker.

Emancipet will also debut a moving new multimedia series of portraits and interviews by Norah Levine that demonstrate the unique bond between people and their pets at the luncheon. Levine is a photographer, fine artist, and author who specializes in capturing the personality of animals and people.

In the past year, Emancipet has:

• Spayed or neutered more than 30,000 pets and served more than 100,000 pets through its network of low-cost clinics
• Opened its first clinic outside Texas, in Philadelphia
• Launched Emancipet New School, a national training program to build the capacity of the animal welfare profession to successfully address the root causes of tough animal welfare challenges
• Opened a new brick-and-mortar clinic in Houston’s East End

The luncheon chair is Bonnie K. Mills, and luncheon committee members are Shavonne Henderson, Kathy Katz, Tonia Lucio, and Kelly Topfer. Major sponsors are Angela Dorsey and Jason Rhode, Bonnie Mills and Doug Eicher, and Missy and Jeff Nichols.

Additional sponsors include Aimee and Ed Cunningham; the Juried Family Foundation; the Sutton Family and the Gordon and Patricia Johnson Foundation; Taurus Academy; Kelly, Richard, Brandon, and Sloan Topfer; Austin Lost and Found Pets; Thurman Case; Divorce Planning of Austin; Firehouse Animal Health Center; June and Brandon Janes; Kathy Katz; Julie Morris; Richards, Rodriguez, & Skeith, LLP, and Tonia Lucio; Carol and Chris Adams; Jamie L. Barshop; Elanco; Barbara Ellis; Anne T. Hilbert; Beverly and Joel Seffel; Kathy St. Cyr and Sarah O’Dell; Tito’s Handmade Vodka; Shweiki Media; and Magnificent Marketing.