People were tasting some fine wine and delicious food for a good cause at Lanny's Fireside in Conover today. Pam Ragan of the Humane Society says, "Today is our fifth annual wine tasting event to benefit the Vilas County Humane Society, who operates the animal shelter just north of Eagle River."Ragan is a volunteer and board member with the Humane Society and she says this event is very important for the animals,

"It's awareness, its some donations and hopefully some people will find their new best friend. Monetarily we've had the event for the past four years and we've raised a little over $16,000 so it helps a lot.

Lanny Studdard is the owner of Lanny's Fireside and says hosting this event in the spring gives people a chance to get out and help while having fun, "In the spring when there's not much going on, this gives people a chance to get out and have a glass of wine and support a good cause, just cure the winter doldrums a little bit."

That's exactly what Cynthia McManus did, "This is my first time attending it. I'm quite pleased, I just happened to notice that on the sheet they have over 74 entries for silent auction and I think that's awesome the community really stepped up."

The wine was the main course though and Studdard says finding a wine you like is simple, "Wine tasting is not about the wine. It's about what you like, that's why we have several different foods out there. You can try the wines with each food. It doesn't matter if it's a $5 bottle of wine or a $50 bottle of wine, if you like it, it's a good wine."

But the main message McManus took away from the day wasn't the wine, it was the cause, "If you really cannot take care of your animal for one reason or the other, bring them to the humane society and they will find a good home. Jennifer, the E.D. there, can't speak highly enough of her, she has just stepped forth and just done wondrous things."

Director of the Humane Society Jennifer Primich says events like this are what keeps them running, "We are the only animal shelter in Vilas County, for Vilas County and we are supported generously by the publics donations only."So whether you donate some money or your taste buds for a sample of wine, there are many ways to help the animals.