Art work, sports tickets to favorite state universities, gift baskets, jewelry and a bushel of oysters — they might not seem to have much in common, but they’re all up for live auction Saturday at the Humane Society of Beaufort County’s annual dinner and auction.

For 24 years, the auction has been a major fundraiser used to operate HSBC’s spay/neuter program, an ongoing effort to cut down on the population of un-homed and/or feral cat and dog populations.

“Many people may not be aware that money raised by the auction is used to pay on spays and neuters of every animal adopted from our local shelter. This is part of our ongoing commitment to reducing the tragic overpopulation problem. Every animal spayed or neutered saves many lives,” said Barb Grau, HSBC treasurer.

The popular event has raised between $10,000 and $15,000 each year, all of it used to sponsor reduced-rate adoptions/spaying and neutering procedures for animals at Betsy Bailey Nelson Animal Control Facility, spay/neuter clinics and educational outreach, according HSBC President Marty Poffenberger, DVM. The reduced rate for dog adoptions at the shelter through the month of October is an example of how the funds are used each year.

The event starts at 6 p.m. at the Washington Civic Center, with heavy hors d’oeuvres and cocktails. A silent auction runs from 6 to 6:45 p.m., and the live auction starts at 7 p.m. Throughout the night, raffle tickets are drawn, with holders of the winning numbers allowed to pick from a variety of prizes.

Tickets are $35 per person; a table of 10 goes for $300.

For more information or for tickets, call 252-945-1223.