by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Every year Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF)  has a fundraising garden tour of six luxurious homes scattered throughout the south fork of Long Island.  You kind feel like you’re on a scavenger hunt, but without collecting any stuff, just taking pictures of beautiful gardens and some very unique homes.  This year was no different while ARF celebrated the 25th Anniversary of hosting the garden tour on Saturday, June 18th, 2011.

The tour cost $75 per ticket to attend and all the proceeds raised go to help the pets and helps ARF to continue to their amazing work to help the homeless pets their.

We started the tour somewhat backwards-at the 6th house – but that is part of the fun of the tour – it’s self guided and you are not rushed through.  The tour starts at 10am and ends at 4pm.  While you do need a car to get to each locale, the houses are not walking distance from each other, it is worth the trip.  As someone who is probably now considered a “local” (living on the East End for nearly 6 years), I am still amazed at some of the areas I have yet to see.  The ARF garden tour brings you down streets and gravel roads – you might not have otherwise gone down before – so it’s a little adventure too.

While on the tour we were greeted by Pearl, who I met two years before on the tour.  I recognized this beautiful sweetheart of a pit bull.  This tour however is really for people – Pearl was just a greeter with her volunteer Mom & Dad at one of the houses.  We met many people along the way on the tour, and I can tell you most were not even from the East End!  We met people from Islip, East Islip, Connecticut, West Babylon and more.  So if you want to be somewhat of a voyeur and see some beautiful homes, and be able to give back at the same time – be sure to plan for next year’s ARF Garden Tour!  And of course if you are looking to adopt a cat or dog, head to their wonderful shelter in Wainscott (that’s between Southampton and East Hampton!).

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