Ian Somerhalder to participate in Best Friends Animal Society’s Strut Your Mutt event to raise funds for animal sanctuary

Ian Somerhalder, “The Vampire Diaries” star and founder of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF), will be participating in Best Friends Animal Society’s annual Strut Your Mutt event at Park Sans Souci in Lafayette, Louisiana at 9 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22, according to a news release.

The ISF, which hopes to raise $150,000 at Strut Your Mutt, is taking part in the event to raise money for a new project, the Ian Somerhalder Animal Sanctuary.

All proceeds raised by Ian’s Dog Pack at Strut Your Mutt will go directly to the animal sanctuary.

Not only will the sanctuary be a safe harbor for neglected and abused animals, it will also be a place where youngsters who have been known to bully their friends, family or classmates will be provided the opportunity to learn the art of compassion by taking responsibility for another life.

“I really believe in Best Friends Animal Society and their mission of “No More Homeless Pets”, Somerhalder, who serves as an acclaimed ambassador for Best Friends, said in the news release. “Their passion for helping pets really inspired me to work towards building an Animal Sanctuary through the ISF. Our sanctuary will be a safe place for all types of awesome creatures, including abused and abandoned pets.”

Information on the Ian Somerhalder Foundation and Strut Your Mutt, provided by ISF, is as follows:

Founded in 2010, the Ian Somerhalder Foundation promotes “the importance of love and interconnectedness.”  Since its inception, the ISF has grown into an international volunteer organization promoting habitat protection, animal welfare, species conservation, clean energy initiatives, and engaging youth in volunteerism and activism through education and opportunity.