Huntington Beach was the scene of the Aloha PAWmehana Red Carpet Event on Saturday August 24, 2013, bringing celebrities, pet owners and their dogs to join the fight against canine cancer. The driving forces behind the event, Dawn Barraco of Canine Caviar, Inc. and Melesssa Austin of Posh Pooch, Inc. combined efforts to create a fun yet important fundraising event with the shared goal of ending pet cancer.
Posh Pooch, Inc. and Canine Caviar co-hosted the fundraiser that benefited the Canine Caviar Cancer Research Foundation (CCCRF). Both companies promote a holistic lifestyle for pets and are focused on the total health of the pets that they serve. Nearly $1,000 was raised to benefit the CCCRF at the event.
According to the CCCRF website, one in four dogs dies of cancer every year, and the disease accounts for almost half of the deaths of pets over the age of ten. Dogs are diagnosed with cancer at roughly the same rate as humans, and there are nearly 100 different types of pet cancer. The purpose of the CCCRF is to raise funds to advance research in pet cancer and to educate and support the community on pet health and nutrition. The CCCRF will support research at universities in the United States and eventually conduct its own research.
John Littlefield of Extreme Makeover, Home Edition, who is speaking up against Canine Cancer and is an ambassador of the CCCRF , attended with his wife Nadine Stenovitch and their two dogs Max and Miss Coco. John and Nadine are long time dog abuse and rescue advocates and are passionate about canine nutrition. John, who feeds his dogs Canine Caviar, recently said in an interview, “If I’m so conscious about what I put in my mouth, why wouldn’t I be careful on their behalf too?”.
Gracie Roche and Bruiser Wood, the canine actors from the independent film Wiener Dog Nationals, proudly walked the red carpet clad in Hawaiian themed attire and were joined by other dogs, including golden retrievers, bulldogs, fellow dachshunds and others. In typical red carpet style, Gracie wore a spectacular two piece dress custom made for the event. Brightly colored flowers trimmed a purple faux grass skirt that accented her slender waist and flowed as if she was doing a hula dance when she wagged her tail. Her beau Bruiser wore an aqua and orange Hawaiian shirt that popped against his dark fur and perfectly accented his red leather collar.
Many dog-loving human celebrities joined the dogs on the red carpet in support of canine cancer research. Caitlyn Carmichael of Wiener Dog Nationals walked the red carpet, as did Taylor Hay, Hayley Gripp, Melanie Mar, and Trinity Marquez. Taylor Hay and Trinity Marquez have committed to attending CCCRF events in the future and Melanie Mar has offered her future support.
Thom Somes, owner and founder of PetTech International and also known as The Pet Safety Guy, provided two demonstrations on pet safety for attendees. Bernice Reveles, Indie Artist of the Year 2013, donated her time and entertained attendees with an hour of her signature pop/acoustic/R&B sound. The band Leileilana was visiting from Hawaii and donated their time to perform Hawaiian songs for guests. Award winning dancer Amanda Dunn taught traditional Polynesian and Tahitian dances and guests dined on Hawaiian inspired cuisine that was generously paid for by Camp Run A Mutt South Bay and prepared by Kitty’s Catering.