Pet Spotlight

Reviewed by: Eleanor Goldberg A Dog’s Life: DVD Release Party Photographed by Linus Gelber

On Thursday, December 15 th, in lower Manhattan’s swanky Meat Packing District, one of the area’s very many exclusive parties was taking place on the much frequented Hudson Street. The guest of honor, Chelsea was donned in a chic, royal red, kimono, while her many celebrity guests, some models, others actors, did not pay heed to a specific dress code and bore a wide range of trendy and tailor made outfits, including posh furs, army inspired tops and some even wore black tie tuxedoes. The music was pumping, the security was tight and the food was just delicious. However, unlike the other celebrity parties taking place on Hudson Street, this one was not at your typical hip hop club or posh lounge venue, in fact most of the guests were not even standing on two feet. This unusual party rented out the WoofSpa and was catered to an exclusive group of canines, who were celebrating with their fellow Shi-Tzu Chelsea, for the DVD launch of her first film, A Dog’s Life.

The Happy Couple - Kobey-Rose and David Ray	Beth with Oscar Or is it Oscar with Beth

Chelsea Kirshenbaum, “dog-ter” to producer, Gayle Kirshenbaum has received much acclaim for her first feature film, A Dog’s Life, which follows Chelsea and Gayle in their search for love and meaning in Manhattan. The movie has become quite popular, having been screened throughout the country among canine lovers and their pets, and was recently developed into DVD format.

To celebrate the launch of Chelsea’s DVD and her recent fame, Chelsea and Gayle gathered together their closest friends, family and fans at the high end WoofSpa for a night of drinks, food and festivities.

Filmmaker Gayle Kirshenbaum

Chelsea and Gayle drew a wide range of guests, many of which have an invested interest in improving the lives of the canine community at large.

Keith, the owner of the WoofSpa has always loved dogs (having two of his own) and decided two and a half years ago to make a career switch in order to improve the quality of life for dogs in Manhattan. Keith developed the concept of the WoofSpa, which offers pups luxury treatments, as well as babysitting care when their owners are away on vacation or at work. “We are open from 6:30 am to 11:30 pm and we are the most affordable in the City,” Keith explained.

Not only does Keith offer great care for his pups, but he also hosts a wide range of benefits and social events at his spa, geared to both dogs and their owners. “We hosted Cause for Paws,” Keith explained, which raised awareness and money for important pet charities. Keith also hosts social events for his clients including, Leashes and Lovers and Singles and Dogs.

Chelsea

The two floor space ensures that all dogs have ample room to hang out and run around.

Tara (a Chihuahua owner) brought her six month old pooch Stinky to the party to mingle with some new and old friends. Stinky, a decked out pup, wore a black fur coat from Target’s pet collection and a diamond studded necklace. Tara is very active in the Chihuahua community and is involved in many Chihuahua events and groups. “I read about the DVD launch party in Match.com’s Chihuahua section” she said.

Beth, owner of four dogs, only brought one pup with her, Oscar, a Tibetan terrier, to the party. Although Oscar holds a special place in her heart, it is her eldest dog, Bella that has a permanent reserved space on Beth’s leg. “I had Bella tattooed on my leg” Beth explained while rolling up her pants. “She’s my soul mate”. Bella is achieving much celebrity and has recently been featured in several doggy commercials and was photographed on the cover of some major dog magazines. Bella will soon be celebrating her eighth birthday and Beth is organizing a “pawty” in her honor. Bella, a very active member of the canine community, works as an associate at Tails, an advertising agency that promotes animal products and events.

Rex in the City with his proud owner Amy Parks

Chelsea, the guest of honor, was not feeling too well the night of her party, but she still persevered and acted like a true welcoming host. Seated at the front of the spa with her mom, Gayle, Chelsea greeted each guest as they came in. “She’s a little tired but Chelsea is having a great time” Gayle explained, while stroking the subdued pup on her lap.

The room was replete with treats for both puppies and humans. An open bar area and finger food stand was set up for the owners, while Elise, developer of Down Town Bites, set up her colorful wagon on the other end of the room. Several years ago, Elise created Down Town Bites, a natural, organic snack that is both pet and person friendly. “This way” Elise explained, “You and your dog can share a snack while sitting in the park together”. During the summer months, Elise rides her packed wagon into Union Square Park on the weekends and sells her beautifully packaged, tasty snacks, which come in a variety of flavors to people passing by with their pets. In describing her wagon Elise explained, “Its very old style New York”.

Some of the guests have actually developed friendships as a result of their dogs’ relationship. Susan and Cheryl, both dog owners met at the Fort Tryon Dog Run, where their dogs, Lihalo and Floyd became fast friends. “Lihalo and Floyd are best friends” Susan explained. After having not seen each other for a while, when Lihalo was sick “The two ran towards each other and were so happy to reunite” Susan said.

Another special treat, which has been popping up all over the City and is now standard at the WoofSpa, is Street Treats, a vending machine that contains bite size pet treats for pups. The machine contains little capsules that hold mini biscotti and other snacks for owners to treat their pups.

In addition to the many celebrity pups at the party, were Vanilla and Cinnamon, both Chihuahuas and dressed in black tie attire. Vanilla wore a black tie tuxedo, while Cinnamon wore a fitted, red cocktail dress. Ada, the owner of the two pups is very excited about her pups’ celebrity. “Vanilla was featured on the first cover of New York Dog Magazine” Ada ebulliently exclaimed. “I almost bought every copy in Manhattan”.

Dog Town Bites: a luscious display of treats for dogs and their people

Many of the guests at the party also came prepared to sell their many puppy luxury items. The owner of Rex and the City was there, promoting her website which features top designers for doggie couture clothing and accessories. Additionally, the developer of Dogs Are People Too set up an area featuring her latest designs, including puppy scarves and hats and even yarmulkes.

As the night wore on and the treats grew thin, the partied out pups became pooped and began to bark their goodbyes to their fellow friends, each armed with a complimentary doggie bag filled with treats and healthful pet supplies.

To learn more about Chelsea and Gayle’s film, please visit www.dogamentary.com.