Well, the tails were a wagging this past weekend at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, and I?m not talking coattails.
More than 200 supporters of The Humane Society of Baltimore County participated in the fourth annual Black Tie and Tails Gala, sporting not only their finest duds but also their beloved dogs. That?s right, there were poodles in tutus and tuxes and Labs with top hats. There were various poodles, pugs, whippets, borzois, greyhounds, bulldogs, dachshunds and mutts looking as good as the men and women who brought them.
The first to welcome the two- and four-legged guests was HSBC Executive Director Frank C. Branchini, who told me this was going to be an evening I wouldn?tforget. Boy, was he right. Frank?s been right about a lot of things lately ? he played a leading role in the state?s passage of animal cruelty legislation recently.
As the folks from Innovative Gourmet Caterers served their usual terrific hors d?oeuvres to us humans, some servers carried trays of doggie treats, provided by Jackie House of Andi?s Doggie Deli, from which I had to stop my husband from mistakenly consuming.
This doggish crowd included Ollie and Mary Jane Travers who made it a family affair by bringing their daughters and sons-in-law, Jean and David Goodwin and Joan and Bob Ottenritter. As I made my rounds, disc jockey and animal lover Bobby Nyk played the Baha Men?s “Who Let the Dogs Out.”
As the dogs were doing, well, dog things, many of their owners were busy bidding on the large silent auction chaired by Janet Caslow. Two paws up for chairs Lynda Ames and Angie Tucker, whose fundraising efforts will be used to provide shelter and some TLC to more than a thousand animals that will pass through HSBC?s doors this year.
In her remarks, HSBC President Diane Kesler noted the wonderful work from staffer Catherine Bereson, who recently joined The Humane Society as the Development and Volunteer Coordinator. While most of us were bystanders to last year?s hurricane season, Catherine was in Mississippi rescuing dogs made homeless by Hurricane Katrina. She even adopted one, Tinkerbell.
The top dog of the evening was top doc Dr. Steven Rosenthal of Chesapeake Cardiology Associates. As written in the evening?s program, “Dr. Rosenthal?s research, experience and compassion have set the gold standard for the veterinary community. He and his staff provide the highest quality of care for animals born with cardiac problems, [finding] homes for these animals who would have otherwise been euthanized.”
Rosenthal?s children ? Max, Carly and Brenna ? served as judges in the dog-eat-dog “Best Dressed” contest, as proud mom Lisa looked on with their boxer, Dixon.
Applauding all the contestants were Judge Yvette Diamond, with her beagle, Gracie, Gracie?s vet from Chesapeake Veterinary Referral Center, Dr. Greg Ferguson and his wife, Kristy, Harry Green and Ellen Lasarko and her daughter, Amy.
Next up for the Humane Society is its 13th annual Bark in the Park, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 17 (rain or shine). There will be games, contests, music by Karen Goldberg, and a health and wellness fair. The cost is $5 per person, $10 for the first dog and $7 for each additional dog. Children younger than 12 are free with pet-food or pet-supply donation.
Anne Boone-Simanski is the society columnist for The Examiner and can be reached at [email protected] or 410-878-6131.
