On the evening of Thursday, February 18th DOGSWELL® will host the 1st Annual WAG Awards, a fabulous and unique Cocktail Party and Awards Ceremony at the newly renovated Hollywood club Les Deux.
All of the proceeds from this event will go to Four Legged Friends Foundation, a non-profit organization committed to promoting programs that save family pets, increase adoptions and share the joy pets bring to people. For a minimum donation of $30, you will enjoy photo ops on the red carpet followed by complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, a fabulous silent auction, and awards ceremony. You can RSVP at www.dogswell.com/rsvp.
After careful deliberation, we are very excited to announce our DOGSWELL® WAG AWARDS™ winners! We hope that you will join us and host Debra Skelton for a fabulous Red Carpet Cocktail Party and Awards Fundraiser to highlight these truly amazing honorees! www.dogswell.com/rsvp
WAG AWARDS HONOREES
Heroic: Sweetheart
On September 16, 1999 in Apple Valley, California two malicious young teenagers poured gasoline on a small stray mixed breed dog and set her on fire. As disturbing as this was, the activity set in motion a compelling and compassionate story that is almost unbelievable. After several operations and skin-grafts, the little dog survived the horrifying ordeal with the help of many compassionate people. Her resolve was strong, her loving happy benevolent attitude never faltered and she became known as “Sweetheart.” Although her recovery was a true miracle, her greatest testimony to life is the gift she has given back to society by becoming a Certified Therapy Dog. Sweetheart is now semi-retired but is still active with her therapy work. She has an amazing affect on everyone she encounters. Her “skin grafts” are highly visible, inviting curious questions. As they tell her story, people melt into this euphoric empathy. As the story continues, they become refreshingly bewildered by her present day perseverance. Sweetheart forgave her oppressors refusing to carry the heavy burden of hatred. She never lost her trusting nature with humans, even though it was that trusting nature that initially led to her suffering. She was patient, enduring a four-month hospital stay and six-month recovery. Sweetheart has a very profound affect on the clients and staff we visit. She makes their most pressing problems seem small and distant, bringing a glimmer of hope, a motivation to improve.
Sweetheart’s own survival stimulates a strong belief in a sometimes demanding healing process, a process that can be severely aggravating and painful, but through her example, achievable. Frequently our clients will say, “If that little dog can make it through what she did, so can I.” In October of 2001, one month after the 911Twin Towers debacle, her owners drove Sweetheart to New York City. Coordinated through Red Cross and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals New York she made visits to Pier 94 Family Assistance Center. Sweetheart assisted family members on the boat ride to “Ground Zero” giving them comfort and support. In 2007 her owners drove Sweetheart and her brother and sister, Jackson & Ellie Mae to San Antonio, Texas, where they spent the month of June at Brooke Army Medical Center working with Wounded Soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Charitable: Ricochet
Her name is Ricochet (Rip Curl Ricki, and the SURFice dog). This video best describes what she does: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGODurRfVv4. Please watch this video if nothing else, as it pretty summarizes her journey… but much has happened since it was posted! She is inspiring millions of people. Teachers are using the video to illustrate to their students, Juvenile detention centers, and women prisons are showing it to their kids/women. People from all walks of life, and pretty much everyone who watches it sheds tears… Ricochet has raised over $17,000 for various fundraisers, a toy drive that resulted in over 630 kids getting toys for Christmas, and her current fundraiser for a 7 year old boy who suffered a brain injury in a horrible car accident that claimed the lives of his parents. In addition, one of her sponsors awarded a grant to the boy in the first video which will pay for three years of his physical therapy. Additional information including more videos and pictures can be found on her website www.surfdogricochet.com
Comic Relief: Elle
A 7 year old Chihuahua named Elle (She’s named after Elle Woods from the Film “Legally Blonde”). Elle is obsessed with sun tanning! It’s to the point where even if there is just a 3 inch by 3 inch square of sun, she will squeeze herself into the little patch (as you can see from the attached photos). When she visits her cousin, another Chihuahua named Nolie, they fight over who will get to lie in the sun, and they inch over as the sun moves throughout the afternoon. Elle is a true “LA Dog” with a personal pet sitter and expensive spa days. She is considered to be a real California girl because of her love of the sun!
Talented: Jess
Jess, the Border Collie for Hospice Patients. Jess has been a Pet Partner for 2 1/2 yrs and has found her specialty visiting hospice patients. She’s a very active 4 yr old who wants to play and run for her ball, but when it’s time to visit, she loves to lay beside a patient on the bed or cuddle up to them on a couch. She seems to go into a trance while they continually pet her. Sometimes the patient doesn’t want to talk, so she is just there for them, or the spouse or caregiver enjoys conversation while the patient pets Jess. For hospice patients having Jess there to pet calms them, is a distraction from their illness, and changes their attitude. The patients usually start by talking about their past pets, then sometimes talk about things they are not able to tell family members. When it’s time to leave her owner has a hard time getting Jess off the bed or couch because she wants to stay.
In her fun time, besides playing ball in the park, Jess is learning Freestyle, dancing. She has performed with the “Dancing with the Dogs” group, doing demos at the Best Friends Adoption Festival in LA, and a party for a facility that trains service dogs in Malibu. To keep her mind busy, she is also is learning the names of her many toys.
Inspirational: Daisy
Daisy was rescued at 4 months old. Daisy was born blind and deaf. Her owners had never raised a dog with special needs before so they didn’t know what to expect. The first year wasn’t easy, they had to teach Daisy how to climb stairs, walk on a leash and ride in a car. All of these are normal everyday activities for the average dog, but with Daisy it required daily practice to conquer her fear of the unknown. Daisy felt safe within the 4 walls of her home, but anything beyond that scared her to the point of freezing up. Her owners worked daily to build her trust. They had very little sleep and had to adjust their work schedules to make sure that someone was always there for Daisy. Due to her handicaps, she had a very hard time trusting and bonding with her owners, but one day it all changed. Daisy courageously climbed the stairs by herself, slowly but surely. When in new surroundings, she would climb into my arms if nervous, finally trusting I was a safe place for her, and then when she was ready she would climb down and begin to explore. Daisy’s courage inspired her owner to write a children’s book highlighting special needs. They hope to one day work with children and other animals with special needs.
To see video documentation of her amazing experiences please go to: http://www.youtube.com/user/maryamfaresh#p/u/4/gdhCSuriB2U; http://whataboutdaisy.com
Animal Rescuers: Joseph St. Georges and the LA Fire Department
The man who dangled above the Los Angeles River to rescue a dog is a hero in the eyes of everyone who values the life of an animal.
Joe St. Georges, a 50-year-old firefighter paramedic, got a nasty bite to his thumb for his efforts, but said the crew was already deployed that day — and Spikey, the dog, was a victim in need.
“We’re not going to leave the dog. We’re just not,” he said. “You’re not going to stand there watching a dog drown.” They also didn’t want anyone else — untrained — to attempt the rescue.
Los Angeles Times.
WAG AWARDS HOST
Awards Host: Debra Skelton
After eight seasons of the sketch-comedy show MAD TV on Fox Television, Debra Wilson Skelton remained as the only original cast member from the show’s debut season in 1995. In addition to her work on the Saturday night fixture, Wilson took on numerous film roles, including Spike Lee’s Girl 6, the improbable farce Jane White Is Sick and Twisted, and the thriller Skin Deep. MAD TV viewers are most familiar with the actress through her outspoken characters such as the trash-talking Melina and the irascible Bunifa Latifah Halifah Sharifa Jackson. But Wilson’s real life has been far more thoughtful. In addition to sending fans personal responses to their problems through the MAD TV web site feature “Ask Debra,” Wilson has served as a volunteer and honorary board member of the Create Now! program, dedicated to helping at-risk youths find stability and personal growth through artistic programs.
Don’t forget to RSVP ! We hope to see you there!