Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Calling all animal lovers! Join fellow feline supporters at Daiquiri Dick's Restaurant on Thursday, January 10, 2013 for the PuRR Project Happy Hour fund raiser. From 5:30 to 7:30 pm you'll enjoy live music by Jorge Acosta, cocktails and appetizers, a raffle, and a display of local artwork provided by Galeria Vallarta.

"Cats are my passion," says Marilyn Khan, a volunteer with PuRR Project, "I have loved cats all my life, and when I moved to Puerto Vallarta permanently I decided to get involved." Marilyn says it is a labor of love and she feels she has made a difference in the lives of animals that cannot speak for themselves.

PuRR Project is a no-kill feline shelter located on one-half acre of land just north of Puerto Vallarta. Right now the shelter houses about 150 cats. The adults roam free within a fenced garden, giving them a natural and safe environment in which to live. The kittens have their own nursery, which is an enclosed structure with an open-air patio. The sanctuary also has a clinic for surgeries and veterinary care.

"Everyone should have a cat, or two... or more!" laughs Marilyn. "Studies have shown that living with a cat lowers your blood pressure, improves your mood, helps with depression and loneliness, and reduces stress and anxiety." Marilyn says that cats are your number one friend and they don't require a lot of maintenance.

Monies raised at the Happy Hour fund raiser will help cover PuRR Project's operating expenses which includes vet care, spaying and neutering, food, kitty litter, and maintenance of the facility. "I find the number of cats living in the streets appalling," says Marilyn. "I just cannot walk by and leave them suffering, especially the kittens that are thrown out like trash." She believes a healthy animal population will facilitate a healthy human population.

There are organized tours of the PuRR Project cat ranch on Wednesdays. Pam Sullivan will meet you at the Starbuck's in Plaza Peninsula between 10 and 10:30 am and drive you to the sanctuary. Visit the facility, tour the kitten house, check out the vet center and just hang out with the cats. They love visitors and it's a happy place. Just email Pam toursoftexas(at)hotmail.com, so she knows you want to take the field trip or arrange a private tour. Plus, they are always looking for volunteers to assist with the daily maintenance and socialization of the cats.

If you are interested in adopting a cat or kitten, visit the PuRR Project adoption events. Check them out every Friday at Plaza Marina, in the rotunda outside Comercial from 11 am to 1 pm and on Saturdays at the Paradise Community Center on Pulpito #127 in Zona Romantica from 9 am to 1 pm. All of the cats available have been sterilized, have all their vaccines, and are parasite free and healthy.

Join the PuRR Project team on Thursday, January 10th for an evening of great food, music and a chance to meet other animal lovers at Daiquiri Dick's. Tickets are available at the restaurant and cost just $300 pesos in advance or $350 at the door. Get yours soon because space is limited.