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Cocktails, auctions and live comedy were the main draws of the evening’s event. WANT 98.9 FM morning personality MJ Lucas served as the master of ceremonies.

The silent auction featured items ranging from tickets to the Huntsville Space Center in Alabama, tickets for a Nashville Sounds game and a signed guitar donated by country music artists Kane Brown and Brett Young. The live auction benefited the Angel Fund while the rest of the event benefited the NLOL shelter.

The live auction featured six items, many of which sold for hundreds of dollars after final bids. Tickets to a Savannah Bananas game, three bottles of bourbon, a cheesecake and a pre-solved puzzle of dogs pooping were among them.

The latter half of the event featured a live comedy performance by Nashville comedian and Lebanon native Brian Bates.

Humorous stories during interludes by MJ Lucas included a video clip of New Leash on Life Director Angela Chapman stopping herself from dropping an F-bomb in reaction to Tito’s Vodka donating $60,000 to the shelter.

Chapman shared some statistics about NLOL, including the growth from seven employees to 17 within 10 years, and the importance of a healthy work-life balance for mental health.

“Let’s take care of ourselves and we can do better at our jobs,� Chapman said.

Medical Director Dr. Sara Cooper told stories of a few animals which were helped by the Angel Fund, including a kitten named Drumstick who needed a leg amputation.

“You make it possible for me to do all the things we want to do,� Dr. Cooper said, “Thank you from the bottom of my heart that is probably permanently covered with a layer of drool and fur.�

“Every time you donate, a dog wags its tail a little harder,� she added.

For 2024, 186 dogs and 346 cats were adopted. More than 5,700 animals were spayed or neutered, including approximately 2,000 community cats.

“Night Out for NLOL is about celebrating the incredible bond we share with animals while helping to ensure more dogs and cats find the loving homes they deserve,� Tanya Willis, Development Coordinator at New Leash On Life, said.