Wine glasses and pet costumes will fill Del Mar Social on Sunday, October 25, as SPOT Saves Pets holds its 11th Annual Howl-O-Wine fundraiser from noon to 3 p.m. The event brings together wine tasting, a pet costume contest, a silent auction, and live music, with every ticket sold going toward the group's mission of pulling at-risk dogs and cats out of San Diego County shelters before they run out of time.
SPOT is a San Diego County all-volunteer rescue organization focused on saving dogs and cats in shelters who are at risk of euthanasia, according to a news release reported by the San Diego Union-Tribune. The group says it aims to save treatable, trainable, manageable, and misdiagnosed dogs and cats, and also helps other animals in need, placing them in foster homes where they receive care, medical attention, and behavioral training until adopted. That volunteer-driven model has deep roots: according to SDVoyager, SPOT has rescued more than 8,500 dogs and cats from shelter euthanasia across San Diego County since its founding more than 16 years ago.
An Origin Story Rooted in a Cease-and-Desist
SPOT's beginnings trace back to a standoff between shelter volunteers and a local facility. The outlet reports that after 11 dogs had been taken, the first two were killed; shelter volunteers then hired an attorney and issued a cease-and-desist order to save the remaining nine, a confrontation that pushed the founders to launch an independent rescue operating outside the shelter system. The organization has since been granted 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status by the IRS, a designation confirmed in federal filings tracked by ProPublica, and it carries a four-star rating from Charity Navigator.
Financial records tell a similarly lean story. Per the SDVoyager interview, SPOT operates with zero paid employees, meaning fundraising revenue goes directly into medical care, behavioral training, and spay/neuter programs for the animals it takes in rather than administrative salaries. That structure is part of why organizers frame ticket sales for events like Howl-O-Wine as a direct financial lifeline rather than just a social outing.
Why Foster Groups Matter Right Now
A July 2025 investigation reported rising dog euthanasia rates at San Diego County Department of Animal Services shelters. That contrasts with the record kept by the San Diego Humane Society, which, along with its San Diego Animal Welfare Coalition partners, has maintained zero euthanasia of healthy or treatable shelter animals since 2015 using national Asilomar Accords metrics to track outcomes.
SPOT has a partnership with Best Friends, while the San Diego Humane Society operates a rescue-partner program.
What's Planned at Del Mar Social
Howl-O-Wine 2026 will be held at Del Mar Social, an 8,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor event space in Sorrento Valley, with room for up to 600 guests. Musician Whit Aadland is set to provide R&B music for the afternoon.
Tickets include one drink, a light lunch, music, entry into the costume contest, and chances to win raffle and silent auction items. Admission costs $55 through October 19 and $65 after that date, with tickets available through SPOT's event page.
Organizers say every ticket sold helps SPOT save more animals and find them loving homes, according to the group's website. More information on the rescue's programs is available at spotsavespets.org.
