Vallerie Ruiz loves animals, especially dogs and cats. So, for the second year in a row, the Village of Dabney resident is celebrating her birthday by giving a gift to the Humane Society of
Sumter County.
Ruiz is hosting a birthday party Saturday that will feature games from corn toss to water volleyball, food and live music from local artist Petrina in the afternoon and Leesah Stiles in the early evening.
And in lieu of birthday gifts, Ruiz is asking her guests to donate dog and cat food to help support the animal shelter.
Ruiz and her partner Caryl Akamichi are the proud owners of two 13-year-old terrier mixes named Hula and Woody. Ruiz said it was her love for animals that not only inspired her to volunteer at Chase Sanctuary and Wildlife Conservancy, but to start the tradition of celebrating her birthday by helping animal shelters.
“We love animals and a lot of our friends are animal lovers,” Ruiz said. “Last year, we did this for the Lake County Animal Shelter and had such good participation that we figured we’d do it again this year. It goes to a good cause.”
Last year’s party collected 500 pounds of dog and cat food for the Lake County Animal Shelter.
“It surprised us that it took several loads to get all the food down there,” said Akamichi. “ We were thinking people would bring a can or two of cat food, or something. In anticipation of a large donation, the Humane Society of Sumter County will be bringing their van over so we don’t have to take multiple trips. We also hope that they speak a little bit about their organization and what they do for the community. It’s a win-win all around.”
The Lake and Sumter county animal shelters are grateful for donations from the community, as it helps ease financial strain.
Cheryl Courtright, director of fundraising for the Humane Society of Sumter County, said, in the month of July, there were 100 animals in its care, including those onsite, in foster care and at its partner locations, Sparr and Pet Smart. The shelter spent $1,186 on food for its rescues that month. So far this year, from January through Aug. 17, the shelter has spent a total of $8,147 on food.
“We are a 501(c)(3) and rely strictly on donations. That’s how we survive,” Courtright said. “The impact when we have food donated is that it helps us not to have to buy food and we can pay for other things like medical care and other treatment. We can always use more donations.”
Courtright said the donated food also benefits the shelter’s Kibbles Pet Food Pantry program, which assists Sumter County families who qualify for free pet food.
“We feel it’s so important for people to keep their animals,” she said. “Whether they are seniors or families in need, people tend to consider their animals their family. The animal may give them purpose and help their mental health. It’s a love is shared.”
Lake County’s public information officer Ava Brown said it is always a benefit when people donate food or their time to the “no-kill” shelter where 6,867 animals were sheltered between Aug. 1, 2025, and Aug. 1, 2026.
“Five hundred pounds of dog and cat food is a significant donation for an animal shelter, especially when it is received all at once,” Brown said. “Food is one of our most consistent and important ongoing needs, so a donation of this size can make a meaningful difference. It directly helps us care for the animals who are depending on us every day.”
For Ruiz, any reason to spend time with friends is a good one. But she is more excited to have a positive impact on her community.
“We love our friends and we love to host parties that bring people together. That’s really important to us,” Ruiz said. “The biggest part of this, though, is collecting the food for the shelter. We feel very fortunate that we are in a position to be able to do this and we are very grateful that we have friends who are committed to giving back.”
Staff writer Brea Jones can be reached at 352-753-1119, ext. 5414, or brea.jones@thevillagesmedia.com.
