Soap Opera Weekly
November 20, 2001
Real Life

Dixie, Simba, Pillsbury, Paddy, Daphne and other Animal Haven hopefuls, including a quartet of 9-week-old littermates dubbed the "Sopranos puppies," donned their neckerchiefs and their most appealing expressions and set off for their shelter's fund-raising luncheon and adopt-a-thon. Host Catherine Hickland (Lindsay, OLTL)--who stole time from prepping her new Madison Avenue shop, Cat Cosmetics New York makeup studio--and special guest Christine Toy Johnson--who started a limited run this week on As the World Turns (as Prue)--introduced the potential adoptees to the audience, which was comprised of 200 dedicated supporters of this no-kill shelter in Flushing, Queens.

Catherine praised the attendees for showing up despite the recent events in our country and emphasized the importance of continuing to give charities besides those related to Sept. 11. "They need your help more than ever," she said. As shelter director Marcello Forte explained, because of the financial fallout of the tragedy and uncertainty of the times, the number of homeless animals has risen dramatically, while adoption rates and donations have plummeted.

In addition to the money raised at the luncheon (both Chris and Catherine bid avidly in the silent auction), a particularly meaningful contribution came from Jane Elissa, an artist whose work is featured in the New York Marriott Marquis gift store; she donated a multimedia collage painting to brighten the shelter's walls. And little Daphne, the 4-month-old shih tzu, got adopted by, of all people, my upstairs neighbor, who renamed her Tiki and gives me hourly bulletins on her progress.

Unfortunately, Simba, a 5-year-old golden mixed-breed who was rescued from euthanasia at The Center for Animal Care and Control; Pillsbury, a gentle, 7-year-old sheperd mix who's lived at the shelter for several years; and Paddy, a loving Labrador retriever-mix who’s spent almost all of her nine years at the shelter, didn't find homes that day. As Catherine sadly commented, "They all have little souls and need the same things we do, and that's to be loved and cared for by a special companion." If you think you might be that special companion, you can look them up at www.AnimalHavenShelter.org or at Catherine's own Web site, www.CatCosmetics.com.

Dixie, the darling Chihuahua mix, got lucky the following week at the New York Pet Show in Madison Square Garden created by celebrity pet trainer Bash Dibra and presented by NY SAVE, which provides emergency medical care to animals whose owners can't afford it. Christine was back again on behalf of the shelter, this time joined by Thom Christopher, Billy Kay, Sandra Sauntiago (Dax, Shayne, and Carmen, GL) and model Cindy Guyer, who divided their time between the Animal Haven booth and the stage, where they judged the pet-trick and owner/pet look-alike contests. They also got to meet several rescue dogs from ground zero that were being honored along with their handlers.