Fido, fun and food: Eat out and help a South Shore animal rescue too

SCITUATE − Want to enjoy a meal out, get to visit with some fluffy friends and support a good cause? Look no further.

The Scituate Animal Shelter will have its ninth annual Dine Out for Cats & Dogs on Wednesday evening, Aug. 14, with some special guests to greet supporters at eight South Shore restaurants.

Restaurants in Cohasset, Hingham, Hull, Norwell, Scituate and Weymouth have made donations to the animal shelter to help care for and find homes for rescued cats, dogs, rabbits and other pets.

In return, the shelter is encouraging supporters and animal lovers to dine at one of the restaurants as a way to say thanks.

Shelter alumni will be on hand to greet supporters

A formerly homeless, rescued dog who has been happily adopted will greet diners at each restaurant from 6 to 7:30 p.m.

The eight canine ambassadors were picked for their friendly, extroverted temperaments and include a tiny spaniel puppy, an elderly blind poodle and a 125-pound mastiff.

"All of these dogs love to meet new people, so this is kind of their dream job," said Lisey Good, communications and marketing coordinator for the organization.

Good said many of the dogs have interesting stories, including  a pit bull mix named Nala, who is currently training to be a therapy dog.

Scituate Animal Shelter finds homes for an average of 550 Massachusetts pets each year. The shelter receives no town or state funding and must raise every dime it spends.

Aside from its shelter, the nonprofit offers initiatives to help pet owners in need, such as occasional low-cost vaccination clinics for the community and pantry services that donate 50,000 pounds of pet food each year.

Which local restaurants are participating?

Eight local restaurants are participating in Dine Out for Cats & Dogs this year:

Bia Bistro in Cohasset; Corner Stop Eatery in Cohasset; Galley Kitchen in Scituate; Jake’s Seafood in Hull; The Parrot in Hull; Middle Ground Grill in Weymouth; The Tinker’s Son in Norwell; and Trident Galley & Raw Bar in Hingham.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Fido, fun and food: Eat out and help a South Shore animal rescue too