Bone appétit: Eat out and help a South Shore animal rescue, too. (And, live dogs!)

SCITUATE − The Scituate Animal Shelter will have its 8th annual Dine Out for Cats & Dogs on Wednesday evening, Aug. 30, with some special guests to greet supporters at the door of three South Shore restaurants.

Restaurants in Hull, Cohasset and Scituate have made significant donations to the animal shelter to help care for and find homes for rescued cats, dogs, rabbits and other pets.

In return, the shelter is encouraging the public and supporters of animal well-being to dine at one of the restaurants Wednesday night.

A formerly homeless, rescued dog who has been happily adopted will greet diners at each restaurant.

Lisey Good, of Marshfield, who handles communications for the shelter, adopted one of the rescued dogs herself.

Her Sid is a 4-year-old rat terrier mix who lost one of her legs in a car accident.  Good said the dog was brought to a vet clinic; they were able to save her life and amputate her leg, but the owner then abandoned her, possibly because they could not afford to pay the bill. Good, who lives in Marshfield, adopted Sid in July 2020.

Good and Sid will be at The Corner Stop Eatery, 235 Hull St., in Cohasset from 6-7:30 p.m.

Tom and Olive are two recently adopted pugs who will be appearing together at Jake’s Seafood and Market, 50 George Washington Blvd. in Hull from 6-7:30 p.m. with their new owners.

"Tom is 6 years old and lost his eye in an accident, but he gets around well and loves life," Good said. "He is a super-friendly dog who has ‘never met a stranger.’  He especially adores his human little sister."

Olive is finally getting to enjoy life as a pet. She had been used as a breeding dog and when she was adopted, she had heartworm. She underwent extensive treatment and is now "healthy and happy and spoiled," Good said.

How shelter's youngest volunteer gives back

Jim and Paula O'Brien, the owners of Jake's Restaurant, said Thursday that their support for the shelter came about when their daughter Natalie was allowed to become the youngest volunteer there, to develop her interest in working with animals. Natalie O'Brien recently graduated from the University of Vermont and plans to apply to veterinary school.

"We have had very strong connections to the Scituate shelter," Jim O'Brien said. "Natalie runs a fundraiser for them by designing hats that we sell. They do wonderful things there and they really make a difference."

The fourth dog greeter this year is Sawyer, who was close to starving to death when rescued. She weighed just 25 pounds; today she weighs over 50 pounds. She was adopted last summer by the foster mom who nursed her back to health and today is a sweet, happy, friendly dog, Good said.

Sawyer will be at TKO O'Malley’s Sports Cafe in Scituate from 6-7:30 p.m. Wednesday.

"The money raised allows up to provide food and veterinary care for the animals," Good said. "Animals adopted through our shelter have been spayed or neutered, vaccinated, microchipped, dewormed and treated for fleas and heartworms.”

The shelter adopts an average of 550 cats, dogs and rabbits a year, with a mix of some 300 cats, 175 dogs, 75 rabbits and other "small furry creatures."

The shelter does not receive any state or federal funding and relies 100 percent on donations, Good said.

This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Scituate Animal Shelter to hold Dine Out for Cats & Dogs fundraiser