Humane Pennsylvania will present the "Art for Arf's Sake" auction on Saturday, Nov. 5, at the Reading Fairgrounds, 1216 Hilltop Road, Leesport. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. Those who attend the event will be able to bid on a variety of items in both silent and live auctions, as well as enjoy food and beverages.

The theme of this year's fundraiser is "The Dark Carnival," and the event will take place under two large, heated big top tents. "We did a 'Dark Carnival' theme in 2012, so it's the 10-year anniversary of that," said Lauren Henderson Pignetti, director of development for Humane Pennsylvania. "(Because Humane Pennsylvania) is an animal welfare organization, it's more of a sideshow feel than a circus. There will be fun house mirrors and really cool decor set up to give that dark carnival vibe. There will be an aerialist performing and a magician."

Auction items will include trips, experiences and gift baskets, as well as one-of-a-kind artwork created by local artists. Some of the paintings will feature pets.

The silent auction is also available online. Online billing was scheduled to begin on Oct. 21. "The silent auction is online for two weeks, and people can continue to bid during the first hour and 15 minutes of the event," explained Pignetti. "The live auction is only available to those who attend the auction. It will start about 7 p.m."

She said that the online silent auction will allow those who are unable to attend the event to participate. "We did our auction virtually in 2020 and had really good success with everything," she said. "Last year, we made the switch to have the silent auction online."

Proceeds from the event will benefit Humane Pennsylvania and its programs, which include pet adoption and animal rescue services and nonprofit veterinary hospitals in Berks and Lancaster counties. It also operates the Danielle Ruiz-Murphy Center for Animal Welfare and Dog Park, a free public dog park, at 503 S. Center Road, Birdsboro.

Since 2005, more than $1.4 million has been raised by Art for Arf's Sake.

All tickets must be purchased in advance; no tickets will be sold at the door. To purchase tickets, visit https://humanepa.org/events/art-for-the-animals. A link to purchase tickets is also available at http://www.facebook.com/HumanePenn by choosing "Events."

For more information, call 610-750-6100 or contact Pignetti at lhenderson@humanepa.org or Nicole Koch, events coordinator, at nkoch@humanepa.org.