A tail-wagging good time for the whole family
Mutts Gone Nuts partners with HEA Green Bay for a two-show event
By Kira Doman
The mission of Happily Ever After Animal Sanctuary (HEA) – a no-kill shelter in Ashwaubenon – is to guarantee every animal that enters its care a loving home for the rest of their life.
Co-founder Marcus Reitz said what better way to promote that than a family-friendly show featuring canines who were adopted from animal shelters.
Enter Mutts Gone Nuts.
“We’re doing this in partnership with the Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center (PAC), and we’re all extremely excited by the opportunity,” Reitz said. “It’s family-friendly too – which is a bonus.”
Reitz said the April 24 event is a collaboration with the Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center (PAC), with half of ticket sale proceeds going to HEA to highlight the importance of adopting locally.
Similar to the furry friends at HEA, dogs from Mutts Gone Nuts come from shelters or rescue groups. From shelters to showbiz, this team of canines, and their loyal human pairs, put on quite a show, which includes the highest jumping dog in the universe, two Guiness World Champions, a six-pound Pomeranian Pikachu mix and a host of other previously-discarded dogs that will dance, prance, flip and skip all over the stage.
“I think this is kind of one of those shows that right now, just feels like something we need,” Reitz said. “Something with some levity and something that you don’t see every day. It’s a little bit unique and brings maybe a different cast of characters to the stage. After a long time indoors, we’re looking for a way to get out and enjoy some time with the family. Maybe we reach some level of a return to normalcy by being able to gather and laugh and share our love for pets.”
There will be two shows at the Ashwaubenon Performing Arts Center (2391 S Ridge Road) on Sunday, April 24th – a matinee at 1 p.m. and an evening show at 6 p.m. Tickets start at $29. A “family four pack” discount sponsored by HEA is available for the 6:00 PM show for the evening performance.
“It’s a way to get the family together and come out,” Reitz said.
He said the show helps raise awareness for the pets still currently housed in shelters.
“In order for our mission to succeed, it really takes a community getting behind the work that we do,” Reitz said. “And to have somebody willing to share their expertise in maybe a non-traditional way of bringing a show to town, helping distribute funds into the community and creating impact for companion animals, is also very powerful.”
For more information on the Mutts Gone Nuts! event and for ticket purchases, visit HEA’s official website at heanokill.org.
Kira Doman is an editor and freelance journalist who graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay in the Spring of 2021. Her editing work can be found in Sheepshead Review, Northern Lights and Ellis Clark’s 2020 novel “With You.” Her writings can be viewed in The Driftwood and Green Bay City Pages. She is passionate about subjects such as social justice, current affairs and the arts. In her spare time, she is a barista, an average yet avid hiker, and a full-time cat mom.