2008 Events
Summer Sanctuary Tours
Home for Life® is open for tours beginning the first weekend after Memorial Day. Because of the number of requests we get to visit the sanctuary, tours are reserved for donors and sponsors only.
Others can visit the sanctuary at our two free open house events: the annual Ride for their Lives or our annual Memorial Garden Event & Open House. See details on this page.
When: By appointment, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. beginning May 31.
Reservations: Call or email Home for Life®. See phone number and email address at right.
5th Annual Ride for Their Lives
When: Postponed until 2009
To all riders who were looking forward to a picturesque ride to the sanctuary and a chance to meet our animals, we invite you to attend our 4th annual Memorial Garden Event on September 6. The event includes an Open House with complimentary lunch, and a Blessing of the Animals ceremony!
For more information, read the description below.
4th
Annual Memorial Garden Event, Open House & Blessing of the Animals
When: Saturday, September 6, 2008 at noon
Where: The Memorial Garden at Home for Life®
sanctuary
Reservations: This event is free and open to the public.
Herb Sam, Spiritual Advisor to the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, will officiate our annual memorial garden ceremony. We will also welcome Linda and Allen Anderson, authors of the Angel Animals book series, for a special presentation. A complimentary luncheon will also be served.
Well-behaved pets on leash and accompanied by guests are welcome for the blessing of the animals. However, because of safety and health concerns, we ask attendees to keep their pets near the event area and away from the sanctuary residences.
Home Is Where the Heart Is
Information Sessions
Above, Sunny brings cheer to a nursing home resident during a Senior Outreach visit.
When: TBA
Where: Dodge Nature Center Farm Building, West St. Paul,
MN.
Map
and directions
Learn about Home for Life® and its mission, programs, and volunteer opportunities at these regularly-held sessions, which include a complimentary brunch.
Reservations: Free! Contact Home for Life® at 1-800-252-5918 to reserve your seat. (The Dodge Nature Center does not take reservations for these events.)
2nd Annual Dog Days at MOA
Author John Grogan will be the guest of honor at the 5th annual Wags to Whiskers.
When: October 13–17, 2008
Where: Mall of America Rotunda
View fanciful dog houses and cat condos created by local celebrities and artists:
- Ann Bancroft, arctic explorer
- Dan Cole, KFAN's "Common Man"
- John Hanson and hosts of Twin Cities Live on 5 Eyewitness News
- Kim Insley of Kare 11 News
- Jay and Willie, hosts of the morning drive on AM 1500
- Rebecca Kolls, master gardener of ABC's Good Morning America
- Liv Line and the Get Real Girls of FM 107.1
- The Minnesota Vikings
- The Minnesota Twins
- The Minnesota Wild
- Jeff Passolt, Marni Hughes and Ian Leonard, anchors of Fox News, Channel 9
- Jeannette Trompeter of WCCO Channel 4
- Todd Walker, the "Man About Town" of Fox 9 News
At 1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 17, attend a book signing with John Grogan, author of the New York Times Best Seller, Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog.
5th Annual Wags to Whiskers Gala
When: Friday, October 17, 2008
Where: International Market Square, Minneapolis
Reservations: Make
reservations online.
Download the latest ad from the September issue of Metro Magazine.
Our special guest and keynote speaker this year will be John Grogan, former columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer and author of the New York Times Best Seller, Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog. Mr. Grogan has a true appreciation for the kind of canine characters that make up the population at Home for Life®, so he seemed like a perfect fit for an evening that celebrates all of the special animals at the sanctuary.
Col. Kurt Johnson, the popular auctioneer, will return, along with our world-famous dog parade, the true highlight of the evening. Items to be auctioned:
- A custom portrait of your pet by nationally recognized pet artist Mark Weakley.
- Artwork by Peter Max, Bruce Weber and William Wegman.
- A photograph by acclaimed Hollywood photographer Christopher Ameruoso featuring singer Pink and her bulldog Elvis, along with a copy of Ameruoso's book Pets and Their Celebrities.
- Original artwork by Stephen Huneck.
- Three signed books by Dean Koontz, inscribed specially for this event.
- A dog sled trip donated by Wintergreen Dog Sledding Adventures.
- A theater weekend in Chicago: attend productions of "Wicked" and "Jersey Boys," dine at exclusive Chicago restaurants, and stay at a premier Chicago hotel.
- A week at the exclusive Puerto Vallarta Mexico Villa oceanside resort.
- A golf outing for two with Dan "The Common Man" Cole of KFAN.
- One-of-a-kind dog houses designed local artists and celebrities, on display earlier in the week at Dog Days at MOA.
We're looking forward to another elegant evening with some more fun surprises at the 5th Annual Wags to Whiskers!
The Faces of Home for Life®
When: December 15, 2008–January 6, 2009
Where: Mall of America
Home for Life animals and volunteers will once again be at Mall of America during the holiday shopping season to raise awareness about the sanctuary and our programs. Don't forget to stop visit us at MOA and share in the holiday cheer!