DC’s Top Fashion Event and Runway Show takes place on Saturday, April 8th at Grand Hyatt Washington All Proceeds Benefit the Animals of the Humane Rescue Alliance. Washington, DC – Television personality and celebrity designer Carson Kressley will take the stage as master of ceremonies for the Fashion for Paws 11th Annual Runway Show on Saturday, April 8th at the Grand Hyatt in Washington. Kressley will welcome guests and kick off the runway show which includes fundraising ambassadors who will be wearing apparel from the area’s hottest retailers as they grace the Fashion for Paws catwalk. Joining Kressley and the models on the runway will be their lovable dogs wearing the latest designer doggie couture, all to benefit the Humane Rescue Alliance. Tickets and tables are on sale now at www.fashionforpaws.org. Kressley, the Emmy award winning star of Queer Eye and former contestant on Dancing with the Stars was only recently eliminated during the 2017 season of The New Celebrity Apprentice. An animal lover, Kressley can’t wait to take part in DC’s top fashion event. “I am absolutely thrilled to take part in Fashion for Paws!” said Kressley. “This event combines fashion AND raising money for homeless animals and I can’t think of a better combination. I’m looking forward to coming to DC and getting this party started!” A one-of-a-kind Washington tradition returns as the Fashion for Paws 11th Annual Runway Show takes place Saturday, April 8th at 8 p.m. at the Grand Hyatt Washington. The Fashion for Paws Runway Show is a nationally acclaimed, one-of-a-kind luxury brand event that has raised more than $4 million since its inaugural event in 2007. The money raised by Fashion for Paws goes directly to the programs that benefit the homeless animals cared for by the Humane Rescue Alliance (HRA). HRA serves more than 60,000 animals each year. The illustrious models walking the Fashion for Paws runway must raise a minimum of $3,000 for HRA to have the opportunity to participate, with many escorting their fashionably dressed dog down the runway. The event features an awards presentation to honor Fashion for Paws’ top fundraiser, who will claim the title of "Model Washingtonian of the Year." First and second runners-up will also be honored on the runway. The winners will be chosen based on total amount of funds raised in a friendly fundraising competition in the 12 weeks leading up to the event. Get an up close and personal view of the runway action by purchasing VIP tickets and tables for Fashion for Paws. VIP tables range from $3,000 to $6,000, with a very limited number of special $10,000 tables located right next to the runway. Table guests are served a three-course meal and are invited to arrive early for a VIP Reception beginning at 7 p.m. VIP tickets are available for $200 and general admission tickets can be purchased for $100. Visit www.fashionforpaws.org for more information. Sponsors for the Fashion for Paws 11th Annual Runway Show include Audi USA, Design Foundry, Linder Global Events, Trunk Club, Northern Virginia Real Estate, Inc., Anytime K9, Maryland Sound, Quince Imaging, and John Farr Lighting. Clothing provided by Aram, Arc’teryx, Katya Avdeev Couture, Lilly Pulitzer, Lynn/Louisa, Paul Stuart, Studio D’Maxsi, Undeniable Boutique, and Zadig & Voltaire. Dog clothing is provided by Anthony Rubio Designs, Emily Abril, and Mallory DeBenedetto. Hair and make up for the event provided by PR at Partners.
Don’t miss DC’s most fabulous night! Participants are actively fundraising right now to help us raise over $500,000 by April 8. With your help we can reach this goal. Purchase tickets, tables, or a sponsorship today. About the Humane Rescue Alliance: The Humane Rescue Alliance (formerly the Washington Humane Society-Washington Animal Rescue League) has protected and served the animals of the community for more than 145 years and serves more than 60,000 animals annually. The broad range of programs offered include: rescue and adoption, humane law enforcement, low-cost veterinary services, animal care and control, behavior and training, spay-neuter services, humane education, and many others. The organization is dedicated to ensuring the safety and welfare of all animals, bringing people and animals together, and working with all communities to support these relationships. HRA is based in Washington, DC, the only major urban area in the country that has all of its animal protection programs and services unified in one organization, making the Humane Rescue Alliance a model for the nation.
If you didn't tune in to last Monday night's portion of the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, you might have missed the raucous cheers for the beautiful German Shepherd that captured the top prize in the Herding group. Her call name is Rumor, and she won best in show last Tuesday, becoming only the second German Shepherd ever to take home top honor at Westminster. At last year's Westminster, Rumor also won the Herding group to advance to the best in show judging, but she fell short of taking home the big trophy, which went to CJ the German Shorthaired Pointer. This year, she staged a valiant comeback, and by the chanting from the crowd at Madison Square Garden, her many fans are thrilled. Rumor, whose full name is Lockenhaus' Rumor Has It V Kenlyn, is a 5-year-old pup hailing from Wisconsin. She has countless championships under her belt and spends nearly all her time with her handler, co-owner, and cobreeder Kent Boyles. Immediately after winning, Kent was asked what's next for Rumor, as it is common for Westminster champions to retire. His answer was simple: he's going to find her a husband so they can have some puppies.
These adorable chinchillas come from a breeder called Cameron, based in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire. He specializes mainly in breeding show quality violet chinchillas that, as a feature, have these perfectly round butts. Don’t worry, they’re not being overfed or groomed everyday to look that round, it’s just how their fur naturally looks like. On Cameron’s website http://camchinchillas.webs.com/ many people state that the chinchillas are being taken care of extremely well, they have lots of toys, are being played with daily and are as happy as any chinchilla could be. Don’t forget to follow Cameron on Facebook/Instagram for more pics of this round fluffy goodness!
From Cameron's Chinchillas Facebook Page: Indie my beige carrying violet female took Best Young Mutation and Reserve Best Mutation at the Southern Region Chieveley show yesterday! FYI: Incase anyone is wondering Indie does not live in this cage - it is for exhibition only so the chinchilla can be individually graded by a professionally trained judge by the National Chinchilla Society's show criteria - whilst some stress is in life is unavoidable, care is taken to ensure the chinchillas are kept in a cool, quiet hall. Most of the chinchillas spend the majority of the day asleep in their show cages and are only briefly disturbed during judging (although many aren't phased by this and may even stay asleep). Breeders ensure a sufficient rest period has been provided after each show, otherwise the chinchilla will lose condition and subsequently not place as well. Generally it's advised to take one chinchilla to no more than three or four shows to get a range of expert opinions from judges. If anyone has any questions about showing please feel free to ask.
A new law in San Francisco has made it illegal to sell dogs and cats obtained from mills within the city. The bill targets puppy mills and kitten factories that put animals in horrible conditions in order to crank out cute puppies and kittens that can be sold for a profit. Under the new law, only rescue animals can be sold in pet stores. The law does not extend to licensed breeders who give their animals proper care, but it does also ban the sale of animals under eight weeks old. While there currently aren’t any pet stores in San Francisco that sell animals obtained from mills, the bill will discourage new businesses that don’t obtain their pets ethically. San Francisco isn’t the first city in the United States to enact such a law. Austin, Boston, Chicago, Piladelphia, Los Angeles, and Sand Diego have all passed similar laws. Hopefully more cities will follow the example and make sure that puppy mills and kitten factories are brought to an end. Every rescue animal deserves a chance, and laws like this help make sure they find the forever homes they need.
Temperatures in the Chicago area have plunged below freezing, and with months of winter still ahead, officials in Harwood Heights have taken new steps to protect animals from extremely cold weather. Harwood Heights trustees, at the Dec. 8 village board meeting, approved revisions to an existing animal cruelty ordinance that make it illegal to confine an animal in a way that denies it access to shelter. The revised ordinance makes it an act of cruelty to improperly care for animals by not protecting them from the weather. It also adds to the definition of "abuse and neglect" by including animal owners who leave pets exposed to prolonged periods of unsheltered exposure to extreme cold or heat. The village already had an ordinance in the books to address the treatment of animals, but Trustee Therese Schuepfer said it lacked clear definitions of several important terms when determining the state of animal care. "The amendment added new definitions to reduce any ambiguity," Schuepfer said. "There were not precipitating events that prompted this change, rather the amendment of this ordinance is a reflection of our ongoing attempt to provide clear statements of village ordinances." In Harwood Heights, the updated anti-cruelty ordinance gives the village more authority to enforce measures to protect pets. Pet owners who get caught leaving what the village defines as a "companion animal" — a cat, dog or horse — outside in the cold, for a period of time long enough to cause the animal to suffer, could face penalties, including fines and losing custody of their pet. Police officers, under the updated ordinance, can now enter private property to investigate complaints of animal cruelty. If a pet owner refuses entry, authorities can get a search warrant to enter, according to the ordinance. Mistreated animals can be confiscated by the village, and pet owners who violate the animal cruelty law can face a fine of between $500 and $5,000 for each violation. The fines would be decided by an administrative hearing officer. The action was approved unanimously as part of the consent agenda. Determining a pet's threshold for cold weather is simple, according to Dr. Robyn Barbiers, president of the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago. She said if it's too cold for a human, then it's too cold for an animal. Different dog breeds are able to handle cold weather better than others, such as a husky, which is protected by the winter chill by its dense fur designed for cold climates, Barbiers said. But many dogs with thinner hair, like pit bulls and greyhounds, for example, get cold faster. "What many people sometimes don't realize is that pets get frostbite on their extremities like ears and feet, just like humans," Barbiers said. Frostbite, in part caused by the cold slowing a pet's blood flow, is just one of the dangers cold conditions pose to pets. Road salt and ice can become lodged in the paws of cats and dogs, causing discomfort and sometimes cuts if the ice is sharp enough, according to Barbiers. She said cats need protection from the cold, too. Barbiers advises people to call their local animal control if they see a cat roaming outdoors in the cold and to try to contain the animal in a garage or porch until help arrives. "If it's a free-roaming cat, it has to be picked up," Barbiers said. "A lot of stray cats can be adopted, or if they're feral, they can be placed into colonies." She said extremely cold conditions, which the Chicago area has been experiencing in December, can be especially dangerous for dogs, cats and other animals whose owners leave them in a yard with no shelter from the wind and snow. "Unfortunately, some pet owners view animals as property and not as part of the family," Barbiers said. "Any pets left outside need adequate shelter, and that doesn't mean a simple wooden dog house, but one with proper bedding that's raised off the ground and protects from the wind and wet weather." Other tips on helping pets survive the winter offered by Barbiers include honking the horn of a car before starting the engine (a small animal could have crawled inside for warmth) and cleaning up any antifreeze spills to protect pets and wildlife from poisoning.
Military Working Dogs (MWD) are a vital part of the US Armed Forces. These highly trained pups work side by side with their handlers in war zones as trackers or sentries, in search and rescue, explosive detection and so much more. Interested in sending these hard working canines a little TLC? Below we’ve listed several ways you can send or contribute to care packages for these well deserving pups and their handlers… **Disclaimer – It’s important to contact each organization before you send your donation or package to verify shipping details. The United States War Dog Association, Inc. This non-profit organization has been sending care packages to US military dogs all over the world since 2003. President of the organization, Ron Aiello, told BarkPost that packages are sent all year round. To send specific items, visit their website here for a full list of approved donations. You can also make a financial contribution by donating here. To read more on this story, click here:How To Send A Care Package To A Dog Serving Overseas
Recreating the wild wild west out of discarded farm equipment, South Dakota-based artist John Lopez’s amazing metal sculptures will blow your mind! Check them out below: Eco-friendly and full of personality, these welded figures perfectly capture the iconography of the American West — a bison, a horse with a plow, a Texas Longhorn — a past reconfigured out of recycled materials. Lopez began his career as a bronze sculptor, but realized the versatility of scrap metal when he forged a family grave for his deceased aunt. It creates a unique aesthetic, a kind of mishmash punk sensibility in his beautiful and imposing artwork. It pays respect to the past while also playing with the idea of renewing and reconfiguring familiar imagery into something completely different. Where have you seen a cowboy riding a dinosaur before? “My favorite part about these pieces is the texture,” explains Lopez. “I just start grabbin’ stuff from the pile and welding it, in and if you weld enough of the same thing on over and over it creates this really cool texture that I’ve never seen in these kinds of pieces before. And I think that’s what draws people in.” Blurring the line between organic, artificial, and symbol, Lopez’s art is sure to leave an impact! It’s striking how well they blend into the Midwestern scenery.
San Francisco International Airport introduced “Lilou” the therapy pig this week as the newest member of the airport’s Wag Brigade. And, not surprisingly, she's the first airport therapy pig in the United States, airport spokesman Doug Yakel said, adding that he's sure she'll be a "big hit" with travelers. Lilou happily let passengers pet her pink snout and her back (all the while wearing a pilot’s cap and a blue tutu) while walking through the busy terminals. At one point on Monday, Lilou did circles and ate treats to entertain the crowds. Lilou wasn't immediately available to snort and oink for an interview, but of course, she has an Instagram page, where she touted her new gig: "City pig & the 1st pig in SF SPCA AAT program." One traveler tweeted that she was more excited to meet Lilou than any celebrity. SFO launched the Wag Brigade in 2013 and Lilou is the first pig to join the ranks of friendly dogs, named Bailey and Biggie, to make “passenger travel more enjoyable.” The dogs — and now, one pig — are trained through the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and certified through their Animal Assisted Therapy Program. SFSPCA spokeswoman Krista Maloney said the idea for the pig came straight from the swine's owner, Tatyana Danilova. "She was very interested in having Lilou become certified as a therapy animal," Maloney said. So except for the "sit" and "down" commands, Lilou jumped through the same training hoops that dogs do, and passed with flying colors, Maloney said. "She's friendly and she's pretty well trained," Maloney said, adding that Lilou also visits hospitals and senior homes to give comfort there as well. "She's also housebroken, which is pretty important in an airport."
