NASHUA, N.H. – The Humane Society for Greater Nashua hosted its “Diamonds in the Ruff” gala at the Event Center on Sunday night. It was a casino-themed evening with games of chance played with “funny money.” The funds raised support services including medical care, humane education programs and adoptions for thousands of animals.
“We tried to make this year’s event a little more interactive as opposed to a sit-down dinner,” said Jennifer LeBlanc, the humane society’s director of partnerships and corporate gifts.
“This is our single largest fundraiser in terms of the funds that we bring in, and our biggest thing is our Fund-a-Need,” she said. “This year we are raising funds for the new building to help outfit it with a new operating table and a new dental surgery table so that when the building does open, we can jump right in and get services started.”
More than 220 supporters attended the event, and approximately $140,000 was raised.
After thanking the staff, volunteers and donors for all they contribute, board of trustees’ chair Leslie Mennella said, “It’s about compassion, second chances and a community that continues to show up every single time we meet. Every adoption, every vet visit, every medical treatment we offer is possible because of each other.”
With “immense gratitude and admiration,” director of volunteer resources Kateland Ennis presented the 2026 Volunteer of the Year Award “to a woman whose nearly 25 years of dedication have left a permanent mark on the Humane Society for Greater Nashua, Mrs. Carolyn Cline.”
“Year after year, season after season, she has shown up for us and for the animals who needed her most,” Ennis said. “If you attended one of our events, chances are she was there long before it started and stayed long after it ended. If there was a committee that needed guidance, she stepped in. If there was last-minute coverage needed, she showed up. Her dedication reaches far beyond volunteer hours.
“She served on our board of trustees, helping shape the future of this organization with compassion, wisdom and an incredible sense of responsibility. She has poured endless time and energy into making this organization stronger for nearly a quarter of a century. What makes her truly unforgettable is not just what she does, but how she does it — with kindness, with humility, with quiet consistency and with a love for our mission, without ever asking for anything in return.”
Cline accepted the award with a broad smile and declined to take the podium to speak. In her silence her work was left to speak for itself.
When asked what Nashua should know about the Humane Society, LeBlanc said, “They should know that we do more than adoptions. That is obviously what we’re known for, and it’s what we’re going to continue to do.
“We want to serve the people who can’t afford to go to a regular vet. We want to be able to provide those services — quality services — at a more affordable cost. With the new building, we’ll be able to conduct more surgeries at the same time, as well as additional volume over the course of the year. We will also have space to do smaller events there, which I’m excited about, because we do events.”
