THE PREFUNK: WASART Annual Orientation Meeting (no seriously!)

By Matt Driscoll on January 7, 2011

BRING ON THE WEEKEND >>>

Sometimes it's all, like, "Why bother?" - right? Sometimes it's all, like, "I don't even HAVE TIME for a weekend ... I've got errands to run, and chores to do, and I've gotta get hand towels at Target, and Jimmy's got karate, and Saturday night dinner isn't going to cook itself ..."

Well, fuck that noise - if only for the time being (and, more than likely, only in your imagination and purely for the sake of this column).

Pretend, if you will, that you're NOT that person. Pretend you're the type of guy or gal that might actually go out this weekend, or DO SOMETHING, or live life outside the safe shelter of your suburban cul-de-sac or Xbox and pizza-delivery existence ... if only for one weekend.

I present to you this week's Prefunk, a weekly weekend primer for you and your liver - with a picture of an alcoholic household pet thrown in for good measure.

(While we're on that note, I'm running painfully low on drunken pet pictures. If Fido or Fluffy has a booze problem, and you've got a phone to capture it on - send pictures my way. I'll make your drunken pet famous!)

((While were on THAT note, I don't think the Weekly Volcano's lawyers would appreciate me ACTUALLY encouraging people to make their pets drink, so I'm probably not doing that ... or am I?))

WASART Annual Orientation Meeting

Saturday, Jan. 8 @ Enumclaw Expo Center Field House

OK! All right! Busted! This event has nothing to do with sexy nightlife, or raging parties, or even doing something most people would consider "exciting." But whatevs. This event IS in Enumclaw, and - quite simply - we don't have much opportunity around here at the Prefunk desk (read: the Folgers can I use outside for my Pal Mall butts) to feature events happening in lovely and picturesque Enum-scratch. When opportunity knocks, one must grab it ...

Plus, while there's a decent chance you've never heard of WASART, it's actually a pretty valuable and important organization that - at the very least - should have its efforts and motives highlighted every once in a while.

WASART is short for Washington State Animal Response Team - an all-volunteer, non-profit organization "specializing in animal disaster preparedness, response, recovery, sheltering and reunification," according to the organization's official website. On Saturday, starting at 9 a.m., WASART will hold its annual orientation meeting at Enumclaw Event Center Field House - an event open to anyone interested in joining and training with WASART, or simply learning more about WASART's goals.

What exactly does that all mean, you ask? Basically, when shit hits the fan WASART is there for our state's animals - the dogs, horses, chickens, pygmy goats, l livestock, pot-bell pigs and all the rest ... probably even the household pets with drinking problems.

What does WASART specifically do?

According to a bullet list provided in a press release for Saturday's orientation meeting, WASART is prepared to:

Evacuate displaced, stranded or abandoned animals

Assist in technical rescue and recovery

Set up operate and staff emergency temporary animal shelters

Identify and document animals

Distribute food

Reunite animals with their families

Coordinate emergency medial treatment for sick or injured animals

Now, at the very least, you know.

PREFUNK: Sure, maybe you don't feel like checking out WASART right now, but you probably will after watching this ...