Celebrities Win Crystal Collar Awards for Pet Videos at Fourth Annual DogCatemy Celebrity Gala

There were "wows" and "woofs" at the Fourth Annual DogCatemy Celebrity Gala as the envelopes were opened and the winners of the 2009 Crystal Collar Awards were revealed. The star-studded event was sponsored by Purina One® brand pet food, with veteran journalist, author and television host Geraldo Rivera as Master of Ceremonies. The gala was attended by celebrities including Beth Stern, spokesperson for North Shore Animal League America and "King of All Media" Howard Stern, Martha Stewart, Monica Seles, and a host of other animal-loving notables. Among the evening's highlights was a performance by S-Curve Record's artist, singer-songwriter Diane Birch.

Most of the celebrities in attendance at the event, held at Cipriani Wall Street, New York City had created videos starring their pets, competing in five categories: Best In Show, Best Tail Waggin' Comedy, Best Dogumentary, Best Pawformance and Best Reel Life Tail. Winners in each category received a crystal statuette depicting the DogCatemy Celebrity Gala dog and cat logo and a crystal-encrusted collar for their pet, This year also featured an online charity auction that continued for a week after the event was over where proceeds benefited the dogs, cats, puppies and kittens at the Animal League.

The audience of more than 500 guests, many with their dogs, mingled in a dog park of larger-than-life sized sculptures of steel cast dogs, created by sculpture Dale Rogers. Rogers created the dogs, part of his American Dog series, as part of the event's fundraising auction. In addition, 25 stars of the fashion and jewelry design world created fabulous pet collars to be auctioned. The collars, of various styles, were donated by designers such as Betsey Johnson, Isaac Mizrahi, Byron Lars, Mark Bouwer, Nanette Lepore, Stephen Dweck, Christie Brinkley and others. Dr.Jennifer Jablow, "Dentist to the Stars," and Prince Lorenzo Borghese, reality show star and creator of luxury pet products. served as co-chairs of the event.

The dog-friendly DogCatemy Celebrity Gala reflects North Shore Animal League America's belief in the special bond that exists between humans and pets. In addition to rescuing, nurturing and adopting more approximately 20,000 pets each year into loving homes, the Animal League strives to increase public awareness of the importance of adopting shelter pets to save their lives.

Thank you to all who participated in this wonderful evening; and thank you for sharing our passion for pets.

All proceeds from this event support North Shore Animal League America's mission of rescuing pets throughout the world and placing them in loving homes.

	To View The Winners Of The 2009 DogCatemy Awards
	For Dale Rogers Studio - Preparing for the DogCatemy Celebrity Gala