At Scenic 98 Coastal, we love promoting good causes, and there are many opportunities to get involved. We encourage people to support these causes when they are the right fit.

My lifelong friend Debbie Metzger Stephens is more than an animal lover. She is an animal advocate in every way possible. From rescuing dogs and cats, and fostering animals to calling on friends to feed feral cats, Debbie is always front and center. When she asked if we could help promote the second Black Tie & Tails fundraising party at Crown Hall on Friday, November 22, I was happy to oblige.

So, what is Black Tie & Tails? Is it really Black Tie? What does the fundraiser support? All good questions. The event is the brainchild of Sarah Clark and her team at Bay Gourmet Catering, who also owns and operates Crown Hall, the fantastic event space at the corner of Broad and Dauphin Streets in Mobile. Sarah tells me she and Chef Jayme Richberg have catered and hosted a lot of charity events, and they wanted to give back. They both have adopted two dogs each, and Bay Gourmet’s social media director, Allyson Clements is a cat person. 

“We saw that the Mobile Animal Shelter needed help, so we conceived this idea to do a fundraiser. Allyson came up with the name and created the graphics. Last year we were able to raise $22,000 with 75% going to Friends of the City of Mobile Animal Shelter and 25% going to the Mobile Cat Society.” Bay Gourmet donates the event space, all food and drink, and helps promote the event, as well as helps with donated auction items.

First, dear reader, you do not have to wear a Black Tie. It’s actually a casual event, but if the mood strikes you, feel free to don your gay apparel and make the most of a fun evening. Fun is what it’s all about. There will be great food and drink by Bay Gourmet. Good music by The Surfers Club, Caricatures by Kathy, and plenty of silent auction items. If that’s not enough, the funds raised will help support our furry friends.

Several sponsors have stepped up to underwrite this event. Sponsors are important and should be noted. Show your appreciation by supporting them whenever you can. The two entities benefiting from Black Tie & Tails are Friends of the City of Mobile Animal Shelter and the Mobile Cat Society (Mobile is known for its societies). What do these organizations do?

I spoke to Anna Bush, President of the Friends of the City of Mobile Animal Shelter. “We’ve been around 20 years and help with costs the City cannot cover. Spaying and neutering cats and dogs is the primary focus which reduces the number of strays in our area. We also help with the medical costs of injured or sick animals and host several adoption events throughout the city.”

Much goes into caring for animals that the Mobile city budget does not cover, whether it’s, preparing animals for adoption; spaying and neutering, providing transportation to other cities for adoption, vaccinations, or medical treatments, Friends of the City of Mobile Animal Shelter’s budget of $50,000 annually is donor funded. Over 500 cats and 200 dogs are cared for every year through their efforts.

“We take only the animals processed through the City of Mobile Animal Shelter. We work with local veterinarians to host vaccine clinics, and, with the help of volunteers, we can vaccinate about 300 animals in 2 hours. We also have cat adoptions at Petco in Mobile from time to time. The idea is to get as many animals safely off the streets as possible and reduce the number of strays through spaying and neutering programs.”

Anna tells me she began volunteering with Friends of the City of Mobile Animal Shelter in 2018 and became the president in 2021. Each vaccine clinic they host requires about 20 volunteers, many of whom are students from the Alabama School of Math and Science. They work with “high volume” veterinarians who can spay and neuter 25 animals a day for $100 per animal. Adoption of animals after the necessary adoption services expenses break even at around $100. Socializing animals before adoption is another service they provide.

As a sponsor, Debbie and her husband Thornton’s business, ADventure Specialties will receive acknowledgment at the Black Tie & Tails event. Sponsorship levels range from ‘Leader of the Pack’ providing tickets for a table of eight, to ‘Paw Print Patrons’, to ‘Power Meowers’. At this year’s auction, there is an array of unique gifts, art, and a raffle for specialty bourbons. Carson Taylor of The Southern Saturday Podcast will MC the event.   

Last May, Scenic 98 Coastal hosted our inaugural wine dinner event at Crown Hall with Sarah, Jaym, and Bay Gourmet. By all measures, it was a huge success, with great food and wine. Expect more of the same at Black Tie & Tails on Friday. Go ahead and purchase your tickets now so they can plan, as Mobile is notoriously late to the party when it comes to buying tickets to any event. (Taylor Swift, where are you?)

As Friends of the City of Mobile Animal Shelter and the Mobile Cat Society will tell you, there are many ways to assist in animal rescue and adoption. Debbie often posts her “Foster Dog” photos on Facebook. People often ask how she can part with these lovable pets after spending a month or two with them. “As hard as it is to let them go, I just consider that each of them finding a forever home gives me greater joy than keeping them,” she says. 

Support our animal community, and we hope to see you at Black Tie & Tails on November 22. Thank you, Anna, Debbie, Sarah, Jayme, and Allyson for all you do in helping the animal kingdom!