| ANIMAL MEDICAL CENTER
New York’s Top Dogs
Raise A Million Dollars Story by Roger Webster
Photos by Jimi Celeste/PMc  ORE than 500 of New York’s luminaries and pet lovers enjoyed a glamorous black tie dinner dance at the Waldorf-Astoria, raising a million dollars to help the Animal Medical Center provide the highest quality veterinary care.
AMC chairman Cynthia Phipps introduced Barbara Walters as emcee of the annual Top Dog Gala. Wearing a brocade evening gown nipped at the waist, Walters told how her pal and AMC trustee Brooke Astor always says, “If I ever get really sick, take me to the Animal Medical Center.” She told how when she interviewed Laura and George Bush at Christmas time, their dog Barney stole the show by eating the fake snow under the tree. A video featured some of AMC’s biggest fans, including Pasha, the “miracle dachshund,” who had slipped a disk and was paralyzed until spinal surgery gave him his mobility back. Pasha playfully walked out on stage with his owner Selva Ozelli, and Jane Seymour, glitteringly beautiful in a silver mermaid dress by Maggie Norris. Pasha showed everybody what it was all about when he jumped up and barked for the applauding crowd. The evening’s honorees were Kathy and Alan “Ace” Greenberg. He is Bear Stearns executive committee chairman, a well-known philanthropist and animal trainer. He’s been married for “exactly16 years, 4 months, and 23 days,” and they’ve had several dogs including their current Papillions, Brutus and Sampson, “whose names weigh more than they do.” Co-chairs Nancy Kissinger and Elaine Langone thanked the generous group that included their husbands Henry Kissinger and Kenneth Langone, AMC president Dr. Guy Pidgeon, Henry and Louise Grunwald, Annette de la Renta; Pauline Pitt; Kathy and William Rayner, Emilia and Pepe Fanjul, Donna and William Acquavella, Emilia Saint-Amand and Fred Krimendahl, Richard Grasso, Jean Doumanian, Henry and Marie Josee Kravis, Pat and William F. Buckley Jr., Carroll Petrie, Wendy Carduner, Jamie Niven, Daisy Soros, Wendy Vanderbilt, Judge Kimba Wood, Hillary Geary, Jamee and Peter Gregory, Karen and Howard Clark, Tina Flaherty and Frances Hayward. There was also a strong junior contingent led by co-chairs Page Hershey and Emilia Fanjul Pfeifler, including President Bush’s niece and Elite Celebrities model Lauren Bush, Shoshanna Lonstein and Josh Gruss, Serena Boardman, Dr. Kelly Posner and David Gerstenhaber, Tory and Christopher Burch, Eugenie Niven, MSNBC anchor Ashleigh Banfield and CNBC’s Margaret Brennan. Also enjoying the fabulous floral decorations by Bill Tansey and dancing to the music of DJ Tom Finn were Rick and Kathy Hilton, Reinaldo Herrera, Alfie Fanjul and Elizabeth Fekkai, Christine Schott and William Goodman, David Patrick Columbia, Jeffrey Hirsch, R. Couri Hay, Amy Rosi, Mario Buatta, Drs. Karen and Sean Aiken, and Philice and Michael Rosen. |
