Pawpurrazzi: A Humane Society Spectacular
Pet owners let their dogs out for a fashion show and great food
By Daelyn Einhorn, age 9
(with commentary from her mother, Brett Graff)
I love the Animal Planet show It’s Me or the Dog, mostly because it’s a lot like my life. My mother is highly allergic to animals (not to mention the additional cleaning they require – yes, I’m Dae’s mom and I’ll be supervising this story.) And she’s been saying for years that my sister and I have had to choose between a pet and a parent. (So far they’ve chosen me though I do realize those teenage years lie ahead…) But I’ve loved animals for as long as I can remember so I’m glad my mom lets me raise money for them, watch Animal Planet shows and takes me to Humane Society events, where dogs are more than welcome.
I was very excited when I heard It’s Me or the Dog host Victoria Stilwell would be the special guest at this year’s Pawpurrazzi event to benefit the Humane Society of Greater Miami. That night, Jungle Island was filled with dogs that were more dressed up than I was! (And that’s despite her getting a new outfit for the occasion.) The animals were appropriate, though, because there was a fashion show just for them. For us there was delicious food, such as sushi and steak served with creamy potatoes and a silent auction (where generosity may have been fueled by the Bacardi sponsored bar.)
“The Humane Society does an amazing public service,” says Stilwell, who has a chocolate Labrador and a chiwawa. “Because whether you like animals or not, they get them off the street and keep people and animals safe. And the Miami Humane society is particularly special because of the depth of knowledge the people here have.”
Joining her at the event were some very important Miami dog owners (who not incidentally will allow a roaming 9-year old to take their canines for a stroll down the runway) including: Bunny Bastian, Pat and Milton Wallace, Donna Shalala, Wendy Safchik, and Steven and Allison Nash Zelkowitz, who says, “I love the Humane Society because it takes care of animals who can’t speak for themselves.”
Brett Graff is SocialMiami.com’s managing editor and has been a journalist covering money, people and power for over 20 years. Graff contributes to national media outlets including Reuters, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Maxim, and the PBS show, Nightly Business Report. A former U.S. government economist, her nationally syndicated column The Home Economist is first published in The Miami Herald and then on the Tribune Content Agency, where it’s available to over 400 publications nationwide. She is broadcast weekly on two iHeartRadio news shows and is the author of “Not Buying It: Stop Overspending & Start Raising Happier, Healthier, More Successful Kids,” a parenting guide for people who might be tempted to buy their children the very obstacles they’re trying to avoid.
