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SPCA Fundraiser Combining Food, Animal Photos

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 6, 2007

EVENT: Benefit for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Suncoast at the Let's Eat gourmet meal preparation store in Trinity Village Center, 10720 State Road 54, Suite 105.

WHAT ABOUT IT? Guests are invited to prepare two or more meals while sipping wine, eating hors d'oeuvres and perusing the whimsical animal photography of Dunedin's Elizabeth Faubert. Twenty percent of the proceeds from sales of her work and of the food during the event will go to the New Port Richey-based SPCA chapter.

WHEN IS IT? 5 to 8 p.m. Oct. 15. Reservations aren't necessary but are recommended.

ABOUT THE SPCA: The 44-year-old animal welfare group has been facing something of a midlife crisis lately. Six part-time employees were let go because of a cash crunch, leaving the full-time staff to pick up the slack. Still, the nonprofit organization continues to find homes for about 150 dogs and cats a month.

The headquarters at 7734 Congress St., just south of Orchid Lake Road, got a makeover in recent months with fresh paint and some interior redecorating.

This summer, the chapter launched a series of fundraisers that included a student car wash, a PetSmart adopt-a-thon, a hurricane preparedness session and, most recently, a 'Wrestling for Whiskers' event featuring Florida Championship Wrestling bouts, a buffet and a canine costume contest.

MORE ON BOOKWORMS AND LITERARY CRITTERS: Faubert combines three of her passions - books, animals and photography - in her clever portraits of pets, props and pages that go together like peanut butter, bread and jelly. For instance:

•A boxer poses with barbells while 'reading' a Muhammad Ali biography.

•A pampered Maltese with a tiara lounges on throw pillows with Meg Cabot's 'Princess In Training.'

•A cat in a litter box settles in with the children's book 'Once Upon a Potty.'

•A goat enjoys a taste of 'Dr. Atkins' New Diet Revolution.'

•A goldfish gets an eyeful of Peter Benchley's 'Jaws.'

•And gopher tortoises get cozy atop a table for two with 'More Joy of Sex,' candles and flowers.

It all started with a cat named Ethyl.

'I photographed Ethyl all the time and one day I had the book 'Of Mice and Men' sitting on the table and thought it would be funny for a cat to read it!' Faubert says on her Web site, booksnobphotos .com. 'Ethyl obliged me (and loved the book by the way) and after that I had more ideas, and then more ...

'As an artist I am incredibly grateful to all the amazing animals I meet and the humans who live with them, because they give me the opportunity to see my vision become a reality. This is the most fun I have ever had creating art.'

To contact Faubert, call (727) 736-1100 or send an e-mail to booksnob@msn.com.

ABOUT LET'S EAT: Founded in 2004 by Tampa moms Marni Poe and Melissa Slack, Let's Eat takes care of tasks such as washing and chopping and also cleans up afterward. Each meal preparation station has a recipe from the monthly menu. The ingredients are placed in the order given in the recipe, and customers can add or subtract to suit their tastes. In six to 10 minutes, they can assemble a meal.

WHERE TO GO FOR MORE INFO: Call (727) 376-6707 or (727) 849-1048; visit letseatdinner.com and www.spcasuncoast.org.

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