The Third Annual Santa Paws fundraiser was held at the Parryville Volunteer Fire Department on Saturday.

The annual event raises money for the Blue Mountain Animal Rescue Society. The event was coordinated by Tryniti LaBar, a volunteer at the animal rescue society, and the Parryville Fire Co.

The day featured craft vendors, a basket auction, photos with Santa, and a bakery auction. The Parryville Fire Company sold breakfast sandwiches earlier, then lunch items such as hamburgers, french fries, hot dogs and more.

Vendors included Creative Crafts by Mariea, Color Street, Marguerite Rose Organics, and Orange Kitty Creations.

Local author Cecelia Helwig, of Dunmore, signed copies of her new book “Mars, Mommy, and the Forever Home,” a novel just released this summer.

“The idea started with the story of a kitten that got caught in the engine of an 18-wheeler and traveled from New Jersey to the Mars Chocolate Factory in Pennsylvania,” Helwig explained. “So, I filled in the story and made it into an adventure story for him to find his forever home.”

The event also collected donations for the West End Food Pantry, Toys For Tots and the Blue Mountain Animal Rescue’s animal food pantry.

“We started getting dogs back in,” said Donna Krum, director of the rescue society. “We adopted out three, and we have three others there yet. We have two Shih Tzu bonded brothers that are just incredible, and then we have a husky mix.”

Krum also said that they have been focusing on special breeds and special-needs animals.

“A lot of agencies contact us, like in the case of domestic violence,” Krum explained. “When an agency contacts us, if a person has to leave or they can surrender them to us, and we make sure they get adopted out to the right home.”

The rescue society also offers assistance to people with wheelchairs for dogs, animal food banks, senior and seizure dog program, emergency veterinary medical fund, spay/neuter and rabies clinics, pet angel animal watch awareness and much more.

The rescue society is in the process of revamping the facilities, after received donations toward the project.

Blue Mountain Animal Rescue provides services in Carbon and Monroe counties, plus some of the surrounding counties as well.

Krum said that the Junior Program is expanding with more young people getting involved. She said a thrift store is in the works with plans to open by the end of the year.

“We improve every year, but we couldn’t do it without the community,” Krum said.

The rescue society can be contacted through Facebook, by phone at 570-249-7890, or by email at bluemountainanimalrescuesociety@gmail.com.