The Walden Humane Society, one of the longest-running animal shelters in the Hudson Valley, celebrated its 50th anniversary last Saturday, August 17 with a Blue Jean Ball at Pleasantly Devine Stables, serving as both a fundraiser for the shelter and a party with the community.

Between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m., over 200 residents gathered at the stables, donating to the shelter and congratulating the staff on the milestone. In return for their generosity, attendees enjoyed a bite and drink, tossed around beach balls and bean bags, won raffle prizes, and browsed a few local vendors. Many attendees also brought their dogs, who eagerly joined in the fun, and the stables’ goats Gator and Ba made guest appearances, receiving many treats from passersby.

“It’s been great, our venue sold out in pre-sale,” said Kelly Devine, co-owner of the stables. “Everyone’s having a blast and buying tickets, and it’s overall been a great community event.”

While everyone was thrilled about the party, they were even happier about the Walden Humane Society’s 50-year legacy and all the work its staff have done for animals in the Hudson Valley. The shelter has saved 8,309 animals since 2012 and thousands more before then, helping abandoned and mistreated pets find their forever homes.

Ryan Boniface, the shelter manager, credits much of Walden Humane Society’s success to its communities in Orange and Ulster County, providing funding and volunteer hands critical to the shelter’s operations.

“It’s been amazing, especially being in our community. Our community has kept us afloat, especially during COVID when it was much worse. And we’ve been doing great ever since,” he said. “I’m blown away with the support of our community and appreciate Kelly and Bill Devine for donating Pleasantly Devine Stables to us for the day.”

Raina Cavalera, a WHS board member, emphasized the shelter staff’s dedication to ensuring the well-being and adoption of their animals. She asserted that these individuals put the “humane” in the Walden Humane Society.

“I think it’s very impressive and we shouldn’t make light of the community support. It’s a very difficult but rewarding job, and we have great staff with fortitude,” Cavalera said. “We wouldn’t be here without them, and we can’t forget about the ‘humanity’ of the Walden Humane Society.”

Karen Stern, a WHS volunteer, praised the staff for taking the time to understand their animals. She recounted times in which staff members took their animals on various trips and let them play outside away from the shelter, giving them much-needed stimuli while they waited for their forever homes.

“The shelter has lovely people, they put in so much effort,” Stern said. They help get so many cats going and adopted, and they really get to know the animals’ personalities.”

Midway through the celebration, Boniface thanked all staff members, volunteers, and donors for helping the Walden Humane Society get this far, and encouraged everyone to continue supporting the shelter.