The Golden State German Shepherd Rescue (GSGSR) will hold their second annual fundraising gala at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Concord on Saturday, Sept. 25. NBC Bay Area News anchor Diane Dwyer will host the event, which includes dinner, wine, and appetizers and benefits GSGSR.

“We hold one big event per year, to raise all the money we need to save these magnificent dogs from life-threatening situations,” said GSGSR chairman Mike Murray.

It’s a highly misunderstood breed, but Murray said it’s one of the best anyone can own and that they are one of the most versatile and highly visible breeds in the world. Because they bond very closely with their human companions, they thrive as a part of the family. There are many reasons why the breed ends up in shelters, Murray said, including work and family situations, but they are also abandoned and abused.

Education about the breed and how people can help shelter animals in general are main objectives of the GSGSR, Murphy explained. Not only does GSGSR want to find loving and caring homes for these dogs, but finding the right kind of home is just as important. “Too many German shepherds sit in shelters because people don’t know enough about these dogs. They see them on TV in Iraq and Afghanistan and with the police or firemen, and they want them. Some owners think German shepherds are smart enough to train themselves, so they leave them in the backyard and then start wondering why they become chronic barkers,” Murray said.

German shepherds need to be around human beings more than most other breeds, Murray claimed. “They’re family dogs … [t]hey thrive in the pack mentality, so if they’re left alone for long periods, owners get frustrated with them, but really it’s not their fault.”

The evening begins with a police K-9 demonstration and features a silent and live auction, with Diane Dwyer as the auctioneer. Raffle tickets will also be available with a grand prize drawing culminating the event.

Golden State German Shepherd Rescue Fundraising Gala: Crowne Plaza Hotel, 45 John Glenn Drive (near Concord Avenue), Concord, Sept. 25,
5–9 p.m., $50, 877-447-4717, www.gsgsrfundraiser.org

E-mail: ed@northsidesf.com