<I>Marie Maulden photo</I><BR>Buster sniffs-out a winning raffle ticket.

LONG BEACH – Buster, a shepherd/Lab mix and a graduate of the Pacific County Humane Society, recently spent his afternoon picking the winners of the society’s fund-raising raffle.

According to Marie Maulden, society board member, Buster had a hard time with his choices. “There were 1,500 raffle tickets and Buster had to sniff each one in order to find the winners. He worked long and diligently at this task,” she said.

The coveted $500 value first prize – which included a four-day, three-night stay at the Nantucket Inn in Lincoln City as well as dinner at Kyllos and Chinook Winds – went to Mrs. Arlene Halldorson of Long Beach.

Buster’s second pick was Tony Cook’s ticket. Cook, an Ilwaco resident, won a 14-kt. mussel shell with diamond on an 18 kt.-gold chain created and donated by master goldsmith Anthony Garzino. The jewelry is valued at $289.

Myra Baker of Ocean Park won a $75 gift certificate for dinner for two at the Shoalwater Restaurant in Seaview, and Buster chose Donna Boone of Ridgefield for the $25 Costco gift certificate.

The raffle raised over $3,000 which will provide food and medicine for dogs and cats at the society’s shelter. Like Buster, the Humane Society is very grateful to all of the people who purchased tickets to support their work.

Buster, who now resides with Diane Curry of Ocean Park, was adopted from the shelter at Thanksgiving 2003. He owes much of his good health to people who support the work of the society year-round.