CRITTEROCK 2025 is July 13

UPDATE on April 19, 2025: Last year’s CRITTEROCK 2024 event raised over $12,000 that was split between last year’s rescue groups.  CRITTEROCK 2025 will be held at the Empress Theatre in downtown Vallejo on Sunday, July 13, 2025.  The Sunday afternoon fun of rock music and furry friends to benefit two beloved animal rescues: Ripple Effect Animal Project and Lucky Ones Ranch. The TAIL-GATE party starts at noon and includes an animal meet-and-greet.  Rock music presented by our local favorite, Camp Jeff band, featuring former members of internationally famous iconic bands Boston, Starship, Eddie Money, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Shania Twain, and Duo De Twang, offering their take on well-known songs. Enjoy specialty pet-themed cocktails and amazing prizes and auction items in the Empress Marquee Club. Mi Jalisco will be on hand with its delicious cuisine.  Tickets are available at https://www.tix.com/ticket-sales/empresstheatre/7268/event/1424647.  For sponsorship informtion, contact Jill Scheidel at love@thegoodworkskitchen.org or 925.212.4043.

Ripple Effect Animal Project was founded in 2020 by Deassa and Bergen, who bring a combined 35 years of rescue and veterinary experience to the organization. Based in the Napa Valley, REAP is a small yet impactful foster and solution-based rescue dedicated to making a difference for pets and their families.

The Lucky Ones Ranch (LOR) is a non-profit animal sanctuary in Vacaville that is a forever home to animals that have faced neglect, abuse, or found themselves in situations where they are no longer wanted.  It was founded in 2016 by Thao and Vince, a dedicated husband-and-wife team who both have careers in law enforcement.

(published June, 2024) Hiddenbrooke resident Lisa Sikes has been rescuing animals since she was 4 years old. Then, she would nurse hurt baby birds with her mother’s help. Later, Lisa co-founded an animal rescue organization that she dissolved when her co-founder moved away. Today, Lisa and her husband David have 3 rescued cats, Rocky, Moo and Mia (pictured below). They moved from Benicia to Hiddenbrooke in 2014 and love looking up at the hills and feeling so close to nature. Lisa created CRITTEROCK 2024 with her friend Jill Scheidel of The Good Works Kitchen to put the fun back into fundraising in ways that benefits other people’s local animal rescue efforts.

CRITTEROCK 2024 was on July 14, 2024 at the Empress Theatre in downtown Vallejo. In addition to music performed by local favorites Camp Jeff band and The Three Frantics, there will be specialty pet-themed cocktails, prizes and rescue animal meet-and-greets. The doors will open at 1 p.m. with food trucks parked in front, and the nearby Provisions restaurant will have a dine-and-donate offer all day.

In planning the event, Lisa recruited support from her husband and his musician friends. David’s musical career includes 10 years touring as a guitarist with the legendary band Boston, and he is as a member of Camp Jeff. Lisa arranged for the event expenses to be covered by area businesses and benefactors so that all of the money raised will directly benefit Underdog Animal Rescue and Solano County Friends of Animals (SCFOA). Lisa selected these 2 North Bay organizations because both are foster-based, working without facilities, rescuing dogs and cats from overcrowded kill shelters and owner surrenders, as well as fixing ferals to stop the population from continued growth. In 2023, the medical bills for Underdog exceeded $153,000 in their efforts to save 370 dogs plus they assisted families of 106 dogs, keeping those pets out of shelters. Founded in 1986, SCFOA boasts almost 450 cat adoptions last year. In addition to the 420 domestic spays and neuters performed, SCFOA also completed 655 TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) of feral cats. All of these cats were strictly from Vallejo and Benicia and their 2023 expenses for medications, microchips, spay/neuter procedures, and vet services exceeded $166,000.

Don’t miss this opportunity to support Hiddenbrooke neighbors who are doing good things for our animal-loving community.