Press Room

Luxury Pet Pavilion to host special “Celebri-Dog” kickoff event for Angel on a Leash in Los Angeles as part of Spring ’08 Show

Famous Canines of the Silver Screen to be Immortalized with
"Hollywood Dog Walk of Fame” at Laurel Canyon Dog Park Friday, February 22.

Therapy Dogs to Begin Visiting Children in Los Angeles Hospitals as Part of Westminster Kennel Club’s ANGEL ON A LEASH Program.

Los Angeles, CA, January 18, 2008 – LUXURY PET PAVILION is kicking off its Spring ’08 show in Los Angeles with a nod to the Academy Awards, which take place the same weekend – February 23rd & 24th. While, across town “The Academy” will honor those two-legged sirens of the Silver Screen, Luxury Pet Pavilion is laying out the Red Carpet at L.A.’s popular Laurel Canyon Dog Park, where some of Hollywood ’s furriest and friendliest stars will help to unveil the traveling “Hollywood Dog Walk of Fame,” fashioned after the legendary stretch of Hollywood Boulevard that is home to the stars. The event, scheduled to take place the morning of Friday, February 22nd, will feature an as-yet-to-be-named celebrity host, and is a celebration of the Los Angeles debut of ANGEL ON A LEASH, the immensely successful charity of the Westminster Kennel Club which champions the use of therapy dogs in health care facilities, schools, rehabilitation, hospice, extended care, correctional facilities, and crisis intervention.

The highlight of the Angel On A Leash kickoff event will be the unveiling of the first five members of the “Hollywood Dog Walk of Fame” and the presentation of their “stars” – featuring their paw prints immortalized in cement. These furry stars of the silver screen will be in attendance at the unveiling, along with Gibson, the world’s tallest dog (standing at more than seven feet!), In addition, sponsors and vendors from the Luxury Pet Pavilion show will also be on hand to preview the hottest fashion trends for Spring ’08.

Since 2004, Angel On A Leash has promoted the role of the human animal bond in enhancing human health and quality of life through advocacy, education, research and service. Begun as a charitable activity at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York – Presbyterian, the program has grown to include more than 30 teams there, as well as teams at the Ronald McDonald House of New York City, Providence (Portland, OR) Health Care Center, New Milford (CT) Hospital, New Alternatives for Children (New York City) Hackensack (NJ) University Medical Center, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, (TN) and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. This event marks the launch of Angel On A Leash in the Los Angeles area.

"Therapy dogs and their human partners are changing people's lives every single day," says David Frei, President of Angel On A Leash. "Intuitively, anyone who has a dog in their family can understand that. But now science and research is supporting that, and we want to get more dogs involved with more people, to help the healing process in so many ways".

“All of us at Luxury Pet Pavilion are thrilled to help share the work of this wonderful organization with the children of Los Angeles,” said Stephanie Ellis, Founder, Luxury Pet Pavilion. “We know the power of our pets in providing love, healing and companionship, and we can think of no better place for these wonderful creatures to share those gifts than in centers of healing. May God bless David and all his four-legged ‘angels’ as they take flight here in the ‘City of Angels.’”

Luxury Pet Pavilion is one of the nation’s premier shows for pet retailers – and with registrants attending from more than a dozen countries throughout the world, the Spring '08 Show launches Luxury Pet Pavilion on a global scale. The show promises to be the place where “what’s in” for the pet industry is showcased and easily accessible. Created by Stephanie Ellis of Pawniquely Yours, Luxury Pet Pavilion is a traveling forum in which luxury pet manufacturers and purveyors of fine pet goods can conduct business with comfort and ease. The opulent setting of Luxury Pet Pavilion’s Spring ’08 show is the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. The show will include education programs and other opportunities aimed at empowering pet professionals and bringing awareness to pets in need, thereby benefiting the entire pet industry. Simply put, Luxury Pet Pavilion is the ultimate in industry pet shows.

Sponsors for Luxury Pet Pavilion’s Spring ’08 show include Pet Style, the Pet Elite, Pet Business, Pet Product News International, Pet Style News, Pawniquely Yours, Paw Print, LA Tails Pet Magazine, Royal Hound Pet Products “The Throne,” and Carlson Wagonlit Travel. The show features exhibits by more than 75 purveyors of fine pet products.