Howard K. Smith aiming to keep fellow dogs (and the occasional cat) well fed at the shelter
(Talk of the Town photo by Terry Eberly) Help keep pooches less fortunate than Howard K. Smith, shown above with his companion, Teresa Smith of South Whitley. The Smiths urge those attending the upcoming Humane Society of Whitley County's fundraising auction on May 14 to make a pledge to keep the Howard K. Smith food bowl full -- providing funds to feed homeless animals at the shelter.
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A new item has been added to the Humane Society of Whitley County's silent auction: the coveted Howard K. Smith food bowl.
It's not for sale.
And you can't bid on it.
You can keep it full, however, by making pledges during the May 14 Whitley County Humane Society auction at the Eagle's Nest Event Center in Columbia City.
This, in turn, will keep the bellies of adoptable dogs (and cats, but don't tell Howie) full while they wait for their families.
Howard K. Smith is the 4-year-old canine companion of Teresa Smith, publisher of the Tribune-News in South Whitley.
"I literally picked him up as a stray," Smith said. "He had the nerve to bark at me from under a parked car on a busy city street. I said, 'Get over here!' And he came running. I knew I had a dog. He was about 5-weeks-old."
Smith did let the police department, the local shelter and vet's offices know she had the dog she affectionately calls "Howie" and advertised him as "lost" in the local newspaper. No one ever claimed the missing Shar-Pei puppy.
"He's a great little guy," Smith said. "And the Howard K. Smith food bowl is a way to support the shelter. If you lose your bid on one of the auction items, why not make a pledge to the bowl?"
Like many once-ownerless pets, Howard K. Smith was just steps away from finding himself homeless and hungry, so Smith is eager to see future animals well-fed at the shelter.
Seats are still available for the Humane Society of Whitley County Auction on May 14, beginning with heavy hors d' oeuvres at 6 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased in advance at Brew-Ha, Murphy’s Jewelers and the Whitley County Community Foundation or by calling the Humane Society of Whitley County at 244-6664.