Out & About: ‘Pasta Palooza’ benefits humane society mission

Shirley McMarlin | Tuesday, February 11, 2020 10:15 a.m.

Kim Stepinsky | For the Tribune-Review

Sugar, a former shelter dog, greets guests along with volunteers Barb Nichols (left) and Susan Ianni, the Shih Tzu’s owner, at the Humane Society of Westmoreland County’s annual Have a Heart Buffet, held Feb. 9 at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield.

If you’ve ever wondered what a “Pasta Palooza” looks like, you’ll have to attend the Humane Society of Westmoreland County’s next Have a Heart Buffet.

Held Feb. 9 at Ferrante’s Lakeview in Hempfield, the annual event featured a hearty meal of tortellini, rigatoni and stuffed shells with both meatballs and chicken Parmesan — not to mention salad and a choice of white or red velvet cake with pink frosting and sprinkles.

Suitably fortified, the crowd got down to the business of buying raffle tickets and bidding on auction items to support shelter operations.

Volunteers Barb Nichols and Susan Ianni checked guests in, as Sugar, Ianni’s rescue Shih Tzu, sat nearby to be petted and praised.

Sugar is one of Ianni’s seven “failed” foster dogs — after taking them in to await permanent placements, she couldn’t part with any of them. Sugar came to the humane society from a breeder with mange, open sores and claws so long they curled back into her foot pads.

Ianni said she also adopted Sugar’s “boyfriend” (the male dog with which she was bred), because the pair “couldn’t stand to be apart.”

Many attendees had similar happy ending stories about their own adopted pets.

HSWC executive director Kathy Burkley called out winning numbers and encouraged the full house to buy more tickets.

Seen: Megan Fritz, Shirley Hobbins, Fran Murrman, Kelly Nestico, James Thomas, Barbara Klein, Roxanne Fontanesi, Larry Luttner, Diana Plutto, Sam and Theresa Maksimchuk, Dana Reynolds, Elizabeth Shaver, Harry and Sue Bosley, Barbara Marin, Mike and Suzanne Dominick, George Socher, Barry Rearick, Donna Blair, Marilyn Chapla and Jan Pechan.