by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Brendan Kownacki
Cue the music. Cue the dogs. It’s runway time. Another mix of two and four-legged models strutted down the catwalk in support of the Washington Humane Society at the 9th Annual Fashion for Paws. The popular fundraiser has become a mainstay in the DC social scene and serves as the vehicle for raising necessary funds to support needy animals in the Nation’s Capitol.
Each year, the Washington Humane Society touches the lives of more than 50,000 animals as well as providing programs in local schools and communities–and Fashion for Paws helps to get those much needed dollars in the door.
Scott Thuman and Olive
This year’s show, held in the cavernous ballroom of the Grand Hyatt hosted hundreds of guests and more than 50 models who raised more than $400, 000 during the course of a twelve-week fundraising drive, all culminating Saturday night in a runway spectacular that remains unmatched in its specialty of human and animal models mixing it up with glamorous fashions for a good cause. Fundraising models were dressed by the high-end retailers of Tysons Galleria, and the canine models outfitted by Regal & POOCH with signature doggie couture.
The show featured co-hosts, WJLA’s Dr. Katy Nelson and Scott Thuman, who couldn’t help but jab at each other as they welcomed the excited crowd. Nelson was quick to flaunt her (larger) dog in the face of Thuman’s Chihuahua sidekick Olive, but Thuman was unphased as he revealed canine themed socks along with his dapper tuxedo. It’s all style and fun at Fashion for Paws.
Scott Thuman and Dr. Katy Nelson
“I don’t know how I top a Chihuahua in a wedding gown,” said Lisa Lafontaine, President of the Washington Humane Society. Lafontaine thanked the turn-out crowd for their continued support and brought on this year’s top fundraising models who each brought in nearly $30,000 or more in support of WHS, the only congressionally-chartered animal welfare agency in the United States. Knowing what the guests really wanted to see though, Lafontaine kept it brief and closed by reminding folks about the impact of adopting an animal and giving it a home, and a family, that will last forever. “That’s what we’re about, creating families.”
