Sunday, July 19, 2009

Doral Desert Princess Resort

Cathedral City, California

Story by Vanessa Likens

Photos by Robert Caldwell

To see more Robert Caldwell photos of the Pets on Parade Award Luncheon, click here.

The place to be Sunday, July 19, 2009, was the Doral Desert Princess Resort, which was hosting the 10th Annual Pets

on Parade Awards luncheon. EZ-103.1 radio personality Dan McGrath was the master of ceremonies and worked to get

the best bids in the main event, which was a live auction.

The Pets on Parade sponsors included Paribas Tennis Championships, Ebel, Verde Canyon Railroad, Electric Car

Distributors, Four Seasons, Saddleback Inn, Palm Springs Harley Davidson, The Resort at Pelican Hill and Southpoint

Hotel, Casino & Spa in Las Vegas. The sponsors provided desirable items for the live auction, ranging from an 18-carat

gold watch to two Harley Davidson motorcycles.

Lori Sarner founded the luncheon, live and silent auction. Malinda Bustos, Pamela Green, and Robin Montgomery

headed up this year’s event as co-chairs. The event had 500 in attendance, including local philanthropist Jackie

Lee Houston, Emmy-Award winner Lindsay Wagner, Grammy-Award winner Roberto Lynn, and author and founder of

the nonprofit Last Chance For Animals Chris De Rose.

It was an exciting day with many attendees accompanied by their canine companions. All the four-legged attendees were

on their best behavior, with the exception of an occasional barking ovation during the auction. An award for best small

dog in attendance went to Roscoe Valentino, whose owners are Kimberly and Randy Howard. They were happy to pose

for a picture.

Among the goodies included with a ticket to the event was a refreshing taco salad for lunch, a California Desert Cities

table book and treats from the local pet store Bones-n-Scones. All ticket sales and auction proceeds will benefit the

Pegasus Riding Academy and the Humane Society. The event was truly paws up!