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Broadway Barks!
Saturday, July 12, 2008, 3:30pm-6:30pm
Shubert Alley (connecting 44th and 45th streets between Broadway and Eighth Avenue)
broadwaybarks.com
 Mary Tyler Moore and Bernadette Peters will host the 10th annual Broadway Barks!, a star-studded dog and cat adopt-a-thon benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies. Produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and sponsored by the ASPCA and PEDIGREE, with additional sponsorship by The New York Times, the event will take place on Saturday, July 12 in Shubert Alley.
The festivities will begin at 3:30pm., and celebrity presentations of pets from citywide animal shelters will take place from 5:30 to 6:30pm. Among the stars set to participate are Christine Baranski, Glenn Close, Harvey Fierstein, Boyd Gaines, Shuler Hensley, Cheyenne Jackson, Andy Karl, Nathan Lane, Mario Lopez, Priscilla Lopez, Orfeh, Matthew Morrison, and Faith Prince.
Marking the 10th anniversary of the organization, Broadway Barks! will again help many of the city's shelter animals find permanent homes by informing New Yorkers about the plight of the thousands of homeless dogs and cats in the metropolitan area. Last year’s event attracted an audience of more than 6,000 theater fans, pet owners, and animal lovers.
“This year,” says Mary Tyler Moore, “we’re delighted to welcome two more shelters to our Broadway Barks! family, Arf and Save Kitty. According to recent statistics, we learned that we are making a difference. In 2002, the rate of euthanasia among shelter animals was at 70%. We are proud that, as a result of our efforts, the number in 2007 was down to 43%.” Says Bernadette Peters, who adopted her dogs Kramer and Stella from the ASPCA and AC&C, “Our work is bringing us closer to the day when we will no longer have to euthanize any healthy and treatable homeless cats and dogs because of a lack of space.”
Peters made the The New York Times bestseller list this month with her debut book, Broadway Barks! The colorful children’s book maps the journey of a young pup who finds his way to Shubert Alley to become part of the annual event. Included is a CD that features Peters reading the story and singing an original song for which she composed the music and lyrics. Peters’ royalties from the sale of the book will go to the organization.
As part of this year's Broadway Barks!, Peters will be do a book signing at the Broadhurst Theatre (235 West 44th Street), beginning at 12:30pm. The event will also feature an auction of celebrity-autographed memorabilia. Proceeds from the auction and other donations received during the day will benefit the participating shelters and adoption agencies, which include A Cause for Paws, Animal Haven, ASPCA, BARC, Bide-A-Wee, City Critters, Humane Society of New York, Husky House, Kitty Kind, Pet-I-Care, PLUTO, Russell Refuge, Stray from the Heart, and the Tigger Foundation. Representatives from these organizations will be on hand to offer educational information on spaying and neutering.
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