Four-legged guests and their parents, all dressed to the nines, graced the recent second Bow & Wow Benefit Dinner at the Rockwell Tent, Rockwell Center, Makati City, this time with Cara Welfare Phils. as beneficiary. The event raised a total of P450,000 in ticket sales plus P100,000 in donations from Bow & Wow executives, with more funds coming from the silent auction.
That’s more than twice the amount raised last year during its first fundraiser, the Bow & Wow Black Collar Benefit Dinner for the Philippine Animal Welfare Society, which raised P200,000. As with last year, all ticket proceeds go straight to the beneficiary.
The successful event saw the furry guests of honor treated to a pet buffet dinner prepared by Bow & Wow, with wet and dry goodies and delightful pet desserts prepared by Swell Sweets. The pet parents, meanwhile, enjoyed a buffet spread by Cibo and excellent wines from Wine Story.
At a pet spa corner, some pets enjoyed free grooming and pampering from professionals. Hosted by Sea Princess Tessa Prieto-Valdes, the dinner entertainment included the performance of master magician Lou Hilario.
Unique finds
The silent auction featured unique finds, including designer pet beds by Filipino designers Rajo Laurel and Nix Alanon, JC Buendia, John and Paul Herrera, Joby Belmonte of “Extreme Makeover,” and Tessa Prieto-Valdes; doggy couture items such as a wedding dress ensemble from pet couture designer Bernie Alfonso-Leytte; a pet columbarium package from Noah’s Ark, and many more.
Some pet parents and their furry babies walked the runway for the “Walk of Love,” where Prieto-Valdes encouraged guests who are thinking about getting pets not to buy, but to adopt instead from animal shelters.
Special awards were also given away, including the Bow & Wow Pawsome Twosome Award for Best Dressed Pet and Pet Parent, the Bow & Wow Wagging Tails Award for the most congenial pet and pet parent, the Bow & Wow Picture Pawfect Award for the most photogenic pet and pet parent, and the Bow & Wow Furry Family Award for the cutest pet and family.
Winners each went home with P1,500 GCs and doggie dispensers from Bow & Wow, plus a Magnum bottle of Ferrari Brut from Healthy Options.
Seen at the benefit dinner were celebrity guests Janice de Belen and her family, Regine Tolentino, Divine Lee and Victor Basa, celebrity trainer Kier Legaspi, actor Jennica Garcia, singer/actor Rita Iringan, actor Enzo Pineda and model Vanessa Matsunaga.
Stiffer penalties
Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy, although not a pet owner because of her allergies, was also present to show her support. The congresswoman, author of House Bill No. 5849, said she is seeking stiffer penalties for animal abuse.
“We see images of animal abuse on the Internet all the time, and each time we apprehend abusers they get away with it so easily because our laws are so old and outdated,” she said.
House Bill No. 5849 will also address issues such as mandatory spaying and neutering, dog policing in barangays, the building of more dog shelters, prohibition of putting live animals in cargo holds of buses or trunks of cars, regulation of pest control and private animal control companies to prevent them from treating dogs and cats as pests, and the registration of dog and cat breeders, among others.
“Funds raised tonight will be used to finance our Save the Laguna Pit Bulls project. These rescued animals are traumatized and some are on the brink of death. We have been getting donations from concerned citizens, but it’s really not enough,” said Nancy Cu Unjieng, president, Compassion and Responsibility for Animals (Cara) Welfare Phils.
Close to 250 pit bulls were rescued last April from a Korean syndicate operating a dog-fighting arena in Laguna. The rescued pit bulls need medication, food, water and care while in rehabilitation.
Cara also has over 100 rescued pets in its care, all residing in the homes of their members, waiting for adoption, since they do not have a shelter. To adopt a pet, visit caraphil.org for more info.