For Pet's Sake Column

The red carpet was rolled out. The paparazzi were lined up. The celebrities began to arrive in stretch limousines – actors such as Christina Applegate, Gil Bellows, E.G. Daily, and Steve Valentine, comedians Tammy Pescatelli and Paul Rodriguez, as well as musical sensations Jane Wiedlin (The Go Go’s), Deborah Gibson (formerly Debbie Gibson) and Taylor “I’ll Always Love You” Dayne. Also in attendance were celebrity pet photographer, Christopher Ameruoso and famed dog whisperer, Cesar Millan.

The occasion? An enchanting event to benefit Operation Doggy Drop, the pet project of Marc Rosen of Warner Bros. Studios and his wife Carolyn. In conjunction with the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals), Marc and Carolyn are raising money for the dogs left homeless in 2005 in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Operation Doggy Drop has a mighty mission: create a system to transport abandoned animals out of the ravaged regions of Louisiana and Mississippi and into areas with less crowded shelters where they will have a much better chance of being adopted.

“The animal shelters in the Gulf Region are still full,” Marc told me in a telephone conversation last week. “The streets are being overrun with dogs (especially young dogs and puppies) without homes. We’re seeking to alleviate the problem; otherwise the shelters will have no choice but to start euthanizing these animals. We won’t let that happen.”

I didn’t want that to happen either. So I dropped everything I had planned for the evening of December 1^st and inched along in rush-hour traffic for three hours to reach my destination: The House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood . It was a chilly evening outside, but things were quickly heating up indoors. At one of the silent auction tables, I bid on a VIP pass to attend a taping of “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” (it turns out I didn’t have the winning bid – next time, OK Ellen?). Before long, I was chatting over carrot sticks and Cosmopolitans with Steve Valentine (co-star of the hit television show, “Crossing Jordan”). The very tall, dark, and handsome actor confessed that he doesn’t have any pets of his own at the moment, but vowed to adopt as soon as the remodeling of his house is complete (a Katrina refuge, perhaps?). I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to introduce myself to Cesar Millan, the host of the popular National Geographic Channel’s “The Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan.” As part of the event’s live auction, this man with the million dollar smile generously offered an in-home personal dog training session for one lucky winner. The boisterous bidding quickly exceeded the $1,000 mark.

Because of the hard work and generosity of folks like Marc and Carolyn Rosen and volunteers with the ASPCA, thousands of dogs languishing in hurricane-damaged animal shelters are just a short drive away from starting new lives in new locales. Now if I could just hitch a ride in one of those transport vehicles the next time I need to make the trek to Tinseltown, I won’t have to worry about all that pesky stop-and-go traffic…….

For more information on Operation Doggy Drop and how you can help, visit: www.operationdoggydrop.com

What events are you attending this year to benefit animals? Let Karen know by emailing her at karenleestevens@cox.net.