Cocktail party helps cat group

Tickets remain available for a fundraising party set for 2 p.m. Sunday that supports Felines & Friends New Mexico.

Special guest actor Ali MacGraw will attend the 10th annual Cocktails for Critters, which will take place in a home. Proceeds from the event, sponsored by the Petco Foundation, support the nonprofit’s mission of helping cats in need.

Each year, the group fosters hundreds of cats, many of which require special veterinary care, diets and medicine. Some remain in the organization as members of the group’s permanent foster program, where foster homes and Felines & Friends share the ongoing cost of care for the rest of their lives. Reservations are $75 per person. The location of the home will be provided to guests before the event.

Tickets can be purchased at www.fandfnm.com or by sending a check to Felines & Friends, 369 Montezuma Ave. No. 320, Santa Fe, NM 87501. Ricky Gervais, Indonesian pop singer Anggun and musician Moby are among the more than 90 celebrities listed in the letter.

Dog meat is eaten by only a small percentage of Indonesians, but in a country of more than 250 million people it still represents a significant trade.

Thousands of dogs and cats are slaughtered weekly in North Sulawesi, most of which are imported from other provinces in Indonesia, according to the antianimal cruelty groups.

After the bad publicity in January, the Tomohon Extreme Market in North Sulawesi stopped the public slaughter of dogs, but video shot by campaigners showed dog carcasses were still being delivered.

“We are so grateful to these global and Indonesian superstars who have come together to support Dog Meat-Free Indonesia’s efforts to end this cruel and dangerous industry,” Humane Society International President Kitty Block said in a statement.

“We respectfully urge President Widodo to work with us on a solution that protects not only Indonesia’s dogs and cats but also the health of its people,” she said.