Woman takes dog to Furry Con in misunderstanding, raises $10K for Pets for Vets

(WJBK) - A metro Detroit mother went viral for an innocent mistake that her son couldn't resist sharing on Twitter. She showed up at the Motor City Furry Con with her dog thinking the event was all about pets.

When receiving an invitation to a big charity event, The Motor City Fur Con, the ambassador for Pets for Vets Cheryl Wassus, was beyond excited.

"I had no idea what a Furry Con was, but as an ambassador of Pets for Vets for vets, we go out a lot," she said.

So, last weekend Cheryl and her 1-year-old Bernese mountain dog headed to metro Detroit.

"So I said hey is it a pet friendly venue? And that got a lot of laughs," she said. "I said okay."

Pulling into the packed Novi Sheridan Hotel, that warm and fuzzy feeling turning into confusion finding people dressed as furry animals.

"It is wall to wall people in costumes and tails and ears," she said.

As for her dog Link, he was apparently underdressed in his Pets for Vets bandana.

"He was like what is this," she said.

Cheryl and Link embraced the furry mix-up and the folks in their fur suits.

"Long tails, ears and some of the most elaborate costumes I've ever seen," she said. "So (Link) is going around sniffing tail, looking at people, looking at things. They were so very happy to see him. It was cool."

And when discussing what she thought this event would be ..."That conversation was with my son," she said, laughing.

Cheryl's son Kenny happily tweeted photos out. And now, Link, became rather famous for his furry fun.

As if the Furry Con wasn't fun enough for Cheryl and Link, over the weekend those at the Furry Con raised $10,000 for Pets for Vets. The organization pairs military veterans with shelter dogs, matched by personality trained by professionals to aid in physical or emotional injuries.

"To do outreach with such a generous group of kids, they are all out there being creative and enjoying each other's company, in costumes," she said. "Ten-thousand dollars is a lot of money."

Cheryl and Link work with several organizations including Women Empowering Women and Project Second Chance. This event was clearly one of their favorites.

Now, they have a new appreciation for well, fur.

"This was a really good experience for him and for me," Cheryl said. "A very generous group of people."

Learn more about Pets for Vets HERE. Learn more about Motor City Furry Con HERE.