With National Puppy Day coming up on March 23, Nuzzles & Co. wants the odds to favor fuzzy, four-legged creatures.

So the non-kill animal rescue nonprofit is hosting a casino night fundraiser two days later, on Saturday, March 25, at Double Deer at Promontory.

The night will feature games, cocktails, opportunity drawings and puppy snuggles, said Josh Stasinos, Nuzzles & Co. development and giving manager.

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“We like to remind people why they attend our events, so puppies will be right at the door when they come in where people can see all the cute faces,” he said.

As far as the games go, since this is a private fundraiser, attendees can play Texas Hold ’em, roulette, black jack and craps without breaking any Utah laws, Stasinos said.

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“Instead of money, all the chips they winn can be cashed in for opportunity drawing tickets,” he said. “Some of those prizes include a trip to Santa Fe, and other experiences and packages.”

The night will also include signature cocktails, mixed by High West Distillery mixologists, according to Stasinos.

“This is a classy event, and we’re doing a speakeasy kind of theme,” he said. “So people are encouraged to dress up in Prohibition Era costumes. But people can wear whatever they want.”

The funds raised during the casino night will help Nuzzles & Co.’s mission, which is to protect animals in a loving and nurturing place where they can get healthy and learn positive behaviors, so they can find “forever homes,” Stasinos said.

“We also try to educate the community about the humane treatment of animals,” he said.

Hosting a fundraiser during the spring is a practical decision, according to Stasinos.

“We’ve already had the holiday fundraisers where everyone was generous during the Christmas season, but then we run into a drought,” he said. “The cost for rescuing and caring for animals is  higher than ever, and we, along with other shelters nationwide, are experiencing an influx of animal rescuing.”

Many of these animals were adopted during the coronavirus pandemic, Stasinos said.

“A lot of people were home in 2020 because of COVID,” he said. “But now, unfortunately, people have returned to work, and they are asking if they can return their pets to shelters.”

The staff at Nuzzles & Co. is doing what it can to keep as many animals as it can from being euthanized, Stasinos said.

“We only have so much space, and we’ve been at full capacity on-going for the past couple of months,” he said. “So, we need to make sure we have resources coming in to keep things running.”

Since 1990, when a group of volunteers originally founded Nuzzles & Co. as Friends of Animals Utah, the nonprofit has rescued and found homes for more than 22,000 pets, Stasinos said.

“Our annual budget is about $1.9 million, and that’s really just to make sure we are keeping the lights on and feeding everyone,” he said. “The cost of food, supplies and shipping has increased over the past few years.”

Not only do Nuzzles & Co. veterinarians spay and neuter at its rescue ranch in Browns Canyon, staff members also embark on rescue missions to the Navajo Nation and neighboring  tribes in the Four Corners region, Stasinos said.

“The staff also works with the rescued animals in rehabilitation and training,” he said. “And as a nonprofit we do a good job making our resources go as far as we can., because at the end of the day, we want to make sure we can take care of everyone.”

Registration for the casino night fundraiser is now open at e.givesmart.com/events/vf1, but people who can’t attend can still donate by visiting nuzzlesandco.org, Stasinos said.

“They can donate through the website, and we also have memberships, called the Love Collective, available,” he said. “So people who join as members become recurring monthly donors.”

The fundraising goal for casino night is $50,000, Stasinos said.

“One of the things I like about Nuzzles is that we don’t raise money just to throw events and fundraisers,” he said. “The money we raise goes to seeing how many animals we can save this year. While we want to have fun and reach out to donors and build relationships, the reality is we want to do what we do well. And that is rescuing animals and making sure they are healthy and safe and getting them into a forever home.”