Husband Surprises Wife For 60th Birthday With Puppy Pawty At Old Dominion Humane Society

Bill Fitterer, of Orange, Va., wanted to give his wife, Cheryl, an unforgettable 60th birthday party, and Old Dominion Humane Society (ODHS) was his first choice. Since she’s always loved dogs, a Puppy Pawty featuring the tiniest residents at the rescue center was ideal.

Bill Fitterer (far right), of Orange, Va., wanted to give his wife, Cheryl (far left), an unforgettable 60th birthday party, and Old Dominion Humane Society was his first choice. Since she’s always loved dogs, a Puppy Pawty featuring the tiniest residents at the rescue center was ideal. Fitterer surprised Cheryl with the party that was attended by all of her children and grandchildren. Learn more at https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/puppy-parties.

The surprise started when the family—all of the children and grandchildren--went out to lunch first. Cheryl’s children then pretended they had to leave to go home. Instead, they went to ODHS, where they waited for her arrival. Meanwhile, Fitterer drove to the facility, but he had to delay the trip so everybody could get there first. As he purposely made wrong turns to give the family time to gather, Cheryl couldn’t help but wonder what was going on.

The result was a very astonished birthday girl, who enjoyed the two-hour party that included puppy playtime.

“I thought a Puppy Pawty would be a unique way to celebrate Cheryl’s birthday,” said Fitterer. “She was very surprised, and the party was a huge hit with the whole family.”

The celebration was held in the ODHS community room, where the rescue puppies are housed. Besides the hour of puppy playtime, guests are treated to a seamless event that’s orchestrated by the Puppy Pawty team, which includes volunteers that are on hand the entire time.

“The party was a huge success for the family, and two of the Fitterers’ daughters fell in love with and submitted applications for two of the puppies that day,” said Dawn Tune, lead volunteer for Puppy Pawties. “The adoption took place just days after the event, so the puppies were able to be spayed and neutered beforehand. “The grandson is planning to have his next birthday at ODHS.”

Tune said the volunteers get ready for each event by scrupulously cleaning the center, setting up tables and hanging birthday banners. Soft blankets are placed on the floor for guests to sit if they want to snuggle with the puppies. The volunteers clean any “potty” messes, ensure the pups are safe and help all of the guests get their chance to play with the furry friends.

ODHS has hosted dozens of “Puppy Pawties,” including a 21st birthday. In addition, a church held a celebration for the Feast Day of Saint Francis of Assisi (the patron saint of animals and ecology) for its members.

Choose from the Fur-Bulous Pawty ($250 donation) with party space for a maximum of 25 people, tables and chairs, one hour of puppy playtime and the assistance of two ODHS volunteers. The Ulti-Mutt Pawty ($350 donation) includes everything in the Fur-Bulous Pawty plus an “Adopt Me” stuffed animal party favor for the expected number of guests and a Pup-arazzi Photo Station.

The fee for the Puppy Pawties is a donation for the ODHS emergency medical fund.

To learn more about the Puppy Pawties, visit https://www.olddominionhumanesociety.org/puppy-parties.