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ReleaseS - The Washington Post |
June 30, 2003, Monday
Pet Sounds: Paws for
Refreshment at the Bark Ball
Harry Truman had it right: "If you want
a friend in Washington, get a dog." If you wanted 400
friends in one room, then the Washington Humane Society's
16th annual Bark Ball was the only place to be on Saturday.
"I like the company better," teased
D.C. Council member Jack Evans, who attended the black-tie
party at the Omni Shoreham with his "best girl"
( Kayla, a golden retriever) and more than 800 other owners
and their prize pooches -- all on their best behavior and
dressed to the nines.
There was Pasha, a cocker-lab mix in a skintight
red satin gown. "She loves it!" said owner Randy
Graham. "I knew, deep down inside, she had this alter
ego." Or Mille, a beagle with a tail wagging nonstop
under a pink net ballgown. "She knows everyone came
to see 'Princess Dog,' " said owner Rene Van De Velde.
Barney the basset hound wore only his bow tie because .
. . well, he's gotten a little chubby. "Last year he
wore a tuxedo, but he gained some weight," explained
owner Kevin Broadwater.
There were doggie hors d'oeuvres, a fancy
dinner for humans (with amazingly well-behaved dogs patiently
waiting tableside for a bite), dog-and-owner dancing, even
volunteers who scurried the pups outside for lawn breaks.
The night raised human and doggy spirits (many of the dogs
were adopted) and a record $110,000.
Honorary dinner chairwoman Eleanor Clift confessed
to the crowd she was . . . a cat owner: "I figure if
I can get along with conservatives on 'The McLaughlin Group,'
I can get along with dog owners."
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June 12, 2000, Monday,
Final Edition
OUT & ABOUT
-- By Roxanne Roberts, With Janelle Erlichman
Humane Society's Bark Ball: For the
Well Heeled
"Ladies and gentlemen: Sit. Stay," implored Brett
Haber, emcee of the Washington Humane Society's adorable black-tie
Bark Ball at the Grand Hyatt. There were 600 people and 200
dogs at Saturday's dinner dance, including Mary Chapin Carpenter
(second from right, below, with Jane O'Neil and friends).
It's hard to imagine a nicer group of partygoers: people dancing
with people, people dancing with dogs, and dogs dancing with
dogs. There were even dogs in tuxedos, like Hansel and Brandy,
above. Everyone was on his best behavior--but then an example
had to be set for the puppies
Copyright 1999 The
Washington Post
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May 14, 1999, Friday, Final Edition
WEEKEND; Pg. N22; COURSES
Forget the Bag, Bring the Doggy
-- By Eve Zibart, Washington Post Staff Writer
WASHINGTONIANS
are always looking for good places to eat with our Significant
Others. But if dogs are supposed to be our best friends, where
can we dine out with them? (I would ordinarily insist on including
cats in the best-friends category, but frankly, in their culture,
consumption preempts conversation.)
Especially
in the summer, when it's so easy to find yourself outdoors
and hungry or thirsty and loathe to go home, such choices
must give us paws -- and such companionable consumption devoutly
to be wished. Why do you think they call them the dog days?
We are not talking here about helper dogs for the sight- or
hearing-impaired, which are considered extensions of their
Coursespartners rather than pets; but the ordinary shaggy
variety. Even so, there are many places around the Washington
area that welcome canine patrons so long as they are restricted
to outdoor tables, and some that even offer doggie dining
in the form of biscuits. Here's a sampling of such open spaces,
though there are others. In fact, you should call your own
neighborhood joint and ask; maybe it has never come up before.
And
if that's not enough to get your tails wagging, you can top
those tails with a top hat and take your buddy out to the
12th annual Bark Ball May 22 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel, where
you can both swing to the music of Peaches O'Dell and Her
Orchestra, graze at open bars -- the gourmet doggie buffet
is being provided by the Three Dog Bakery, among others --
put your paw print down on hundreds of items in a silent auction
and support the Washington Humane Society.
Copyright
2000 The
Washington Post
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