By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

The sound of ringing wine glasses and laughter filled Pleasure is all Wine in Pelham the evening of Dec. 28 as patrons relaxed while helping an animal-focused charity.

Throughout the evening, the store held a fundraiser for the newly founded Birmingham chapter of the “Adopt a Golden” non-profit organization while raffling off a wine basket valued at $500.

All money raised through admission fees and raffle ticket sales will benefit the organization, which works to find loving, warm, permanent homes for golden retrievers to keep them from becoming strays and ending up in animal shelters.

The business has held fundraisers for Adopt a Golden in the past, but this year marked the first time the funds will stay in the Birmingham metro area, said Lorraine Donald, owner of Pleasure is All Wine and a member of the Adopt a Golden Birmingham board of directors.

“Adopt a Golden Birmingham actually received its non-profit status in October of this year,” Donald said, noting previous fundraisers benefited the Atlanta Adopt a Golden chapter. “Last year, the Atlanta shelter took in 70 to 75 golden retrievers from Alabama.”

Donald said about 80 percent of all golden retriever dogs surrendered to animal shelters are heartworm positive, and more than 60 percent are not spayed or neutered.

The Adopt a Golden organization works to rescue golden retriever dogs and pair them with permanent owners, Donald said. The organization also works to medically evaluate, spay or neuter, provide veterinary care and behavioral training if necessary.

“If a dog lives in the South and it doesn’t get heartworm treatment, it will get heartworms,” Donald said.

Once Adopt a Golden volunteers find a potential home for a golden retriever, they work to educate the future owner about responsible dog ownership, the importance of spaying and neutering and the need for heartworm medication.

Because Adopt a Golden relies on donations and volunteer labor to provide its services, events such as the Dec. 28 wine tasting fundraiser are important, Donald said.

“It costs $650 per dog, and that’s just a wellness check and spaying or neutering,” Donald said. “We hope to raise between $3,000 and $5,000 tonight.”

For more information about the organization, visit Facebook.com and search for “Adopt a Golden Birmingham.”