Harry Potter, Mary Poppins, Marilyn Monroe and a certain Mother of Dragons were among the famous faces at the Citizens for Animal Protection Gala Saturday night at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, but there was little doubt as to who the real superstars were. Perfectly coiffed pups and incredibly chill cats stole the show as the fun-loving crowd of 600 raised $600,000 for CAP.
The “Stars Come Out at Night” theme wasn’t lost on the guests, most of whom dressed for a paparazzi-filled red carpet arrival and took full advantage of the generous cocktail party before dinner, making the rounds, and meeting the evening’s honorees and their respective pets.
Mother/daughter duo Brenda Love and Lindsey Love chaired the gala and brought along their own four-legged family members, Lilly and Lulu, along for the big night. Old Hollywood glamour came alive in the expansive ballroom, which was a sea of velvety red roses, with black and gold accents. Performers from J&D Entertainment elevated the Tinseltown vibe with a performance of "Hooray for Hollywood," kicking off the dinner in grand style
The gala honored Ally and Chris Banket, Julie and Brook Brookshire, Cam and Rod Canion, Wendy and Bill Chiles, Jean Durdin and Sharilyn Durdin Lampson, Jill Jopling and Peter McGillivray, Diane and Ken Kiecke, Rebecca Little, Julia and Keith Little, Sara and James Parr, Cody Tinney along with Junior Honorees Sage Marion and Stone Marion.
The Melcher Humanitarian of the Year Award was awarded to Diane and Jim Mattly while River Oaks Pet Resort owners Joy Lee and Steve Smith were named CAP Cherished Companions and sisters Tama Lundquist and Teena Faust were inducted into the Celebrity Paws Hall of Fame. The Heart of Gold Award went to Patricia and Sig Cornelius and the Share The Love Award was given to Don Sanders and Laura Moore.
The grand finale of the night was the raffle drawing for the new Subaru donated by West Houston Subaru and a moving tribute video in memory of Andrew Pasek garnered a standing ovation. Pasek, 25, tragically passed away in August while attempting to rescue his sister's cat from Harvey's rising flood waters. Pasek was an avid animal lover and his family spoke of his affection for all creatures.
Animal lovers spotted in the crowd included: Andy Cordes and Brian Teichman, Mike and Melna Moriarty, Carol and Bill Simmons, Liz and Pete Carragher, Frank DiMaria and Pat Keller, Jackie and Monty Eubank, Linda and Willie Chiang, and Kim and Scott David.
Ally Chiang, Chris Banket with Kirby.
