The Austin Humane Society’s 21st Annual Rags to Wags Gala returns Saturday, October 24, 2026, at 5 p.m., with a puppy runway show, live and silent auctions, and a Golden Ticket Raffle for a brand-new Mazda SUV, according to the Austin Humane Society. The gala is the shelter’s biggest fundraiser of the year.
Luis Sanchez, who represents the Austin Humane Society, appeared with Sierra Waggoner and Trevor Scott on We Are Austin to preview the gala, which has the theme “Mission Pawsible,” according to KEYE. Scott will serve as emcee. Sanchez brought eight-month-old strays Lana and Beck to the segment and described the pups as outgoing and people-oriented. The shelter hopes they will soon find forever homes.
Beyond the on-air appearance, the gala itself is a full night built around supporting the shelter's daily operations. Ticket packages include a three-course dinner, premium wine service, interactive cocktail hour activations, the puppy runway show, silent and live auctions, and admission to an after-party, according to the Austin Humane Society. The gala takes place at the Renaissance Austin Hotel at 9721 Arboretum Blvd., and proceeds support the society's lifesaving work and mission.
A Mazda and a Long Line of Raffle Tickets
This year’s Golden Ticket Raffle grand prize is a 2026 Mazda CX-50 Hybrid Preferred AWD in Polymetal Gray Metallic, valued at an MSRP of $37,230 and donated by sponsor Roger Beasley Mazda, a multi-year vehicle sponsor for the shelter, according to the Austin Humane Society’s raffle rules. Entries cost $65 each, and the shelter is offering a maximum of 2,500 tickets to Texas residents over age 18. KEYE reported that the cap means odds of one in 2,500 if all tickets are sold. Online sales close October 22 at 5 p.m. CT; any remaining tickets will be sold at the venue until 6:45 p.m. ahead of the 7:45 p.m. drawing, according to the raffle rules.
Founded in 1952, the Austin Humane Society is the city's longest-standing no-kill non-profit animal shelter based on Anderson Lane. The organization says it helps approximately 13,000 animals each year, offering adoption programs, spay and neuter services, and a Community Cat Program, as reported by Austin Humane Society, alongside events like its Mega Community Cat Clinic Day, which provides free, high-volume spay and neuter surgeries to control feral feline overpopulation.
Corporate Partners Keep the Shelter Running
Grocery chain H-E-B donates 100 percent of the food consumed by animals at the shelter through its Heritage Ranch brand and contributes 1 percent of all Central Texas Heritage Ranch product sales directly to the organization, the shelter's partner page states. That kind of in-kind support, paired with raffle and gala proceeds, helps offset costs for a shelter serving Central Texas broadly rather than just the Austin city limits.
Austin Animal Center, the city's open-intake municipal shelter serving Austin and Travis County, provides shelter to thousands of animals annually, according to the City of Austin.
Public Shelter Intake and Adoptions
Austin Monitor reported that an Austin Animal Services statistical report covering October 2024 through January 2025 recorded 1,653 dogs and 1,693 cats taken in, and 1,034 dogs and 1,363 cats adopted. The figures offer a snapshot of the workload at the municipal shelter serving Austin and Travis County, separate from Austin Humane Society’s work. Austin Monitor cautioned that the reported numbers may not reflect the actual number of animals adopted or the total number held in city shelters, according to its report.
A No-Kill City Built on a 2010 Policy
Austin's No-Kill Efforts Austin's no-kill efforts trace back to a City Council vote. The council approved a resolution aimed at making the animal shelter a no-kill facility, according to the Austin Monitor.
Statewide progress has followed a similar trajectory. Texas animal shelters saw an 11 percent reduction in shelter deaths in 2025 compared to 2024, with 194 of 391 Texas shelters achieving no-kill status, according to April 2026 data from Best Friends Animal Society. Gala proceeds and raffle sales like this year's Golden Ticket drawing support the shelter's lifesaving work.
Those hoping to bid on Lana and Beck's adoption - or simply attend the party - can find ticket and raffle details through austinhumanesociety.org.
