SHAKAROO To Help Everett, WA Find True Love This Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is just a month away and the folks at the Everett Animal Shelter have found a way to nearly guarantee you’ll find your true love. SHAKAROO, Everett’s annual party with the pooches is set for Saturday night, February 14th inside the Everett Performing Arts Center. MyEverettNews.com has been a proud supporter of SHAKAROO since it began 4 years ago and here’s everything you need to know about this year’s event…

Everett Animal Shelter is once again teaming up with local reggae/rock band Nigel Mustafa for the fourth annual SHAKAROO benefit concert on Saturday, Feb. 14. The event is held at the Everett Performing Arts Center from 7-9:30 p.m. Doors open at 6 p.m.

SHAKAROO is not a typical fundraiser. After being together for more than a decade, Nigel Mustafa decided they wanted to give back to the community, and the band members’ shared love for animals led them to approach the shelter with the idea of a benefit concert.

“We all love animals, so we thought we’d do something for the shelter,” said Steve Parris, with Nigel Mustafa, in a recent Pet of the Week interview.

Attendees can check out the shelter dogs available for adoption throughout the evening. The first dog-viewing opportunity will be the Pooch Parade, where the stars of the night strut their stuff on stage. The parade continues to grow every year as more dogs are added to the show.

“Last year we had more than 50 dogs in the Pooch Parade. It amazes me how much it’s grown since our first year,” said Dee Cordell, shelter operations coordinator. “And since SHAKAROO 2015 falls on Valentine’s Day, our ultimate goal is for attendees to continue to ‘spread the love’ and give all of these dogs a forever home.”

During intermission, SHAKAROO-goers can interact with the furry stars of the show and shelter volunteers at the Whine and Wine meet and greet. All of the dogs appearing throughout the night will be available for adoption at 10 a.m. the following day.

This year, two more special guests have joined the lineup. Derek Stansbury, radio broadcasting veteran and voice of the Tacoma Rainiers, will emcee the event, and The Wild Snohomians, an Everett-based roadhouse band, will lend their sound to the evening’s entertainment.

“SHAKAROO is truly a unique event, and we are so grateful to be a part of it,” Cordell said. “It’s a great way to get introduced to the shelter and all that we offer, and it will definitely make for a memorable Valentine’s night!”

Tickets for the event are $25 per person, and going fast. To reserve a spot, email shakaroo@everettwa.gov, call the SHAKAROO hotline at 425-257-6040, or visit the Everett Animal Shelter at 333 Smith Island Rd. Tickets can also be purchased online at www.everettarf.org.

For a preview of the SHAKAROO fun, watch a short video of last year’s event: http://youtu.be/dO8F-ZK6fr8. For all the details, visit www.everettwa.gov/default.aspx?ID=2105.