By Nancy E. Hassel

On Sunday, June 30, 2013 Bide-a-wee in Westhampton Beach hosted an adoption event along with a car show by NY AutoFest. So aside from the adorable dogs there for adoption, pet vendors and entertainment, there were cool cars and many car enthusiats too.  With about 30 dogs available for adoption at the shelter, and this is a beautiful facility, spotless as a matter of fact.  The dogs there are well socialized, happy and they have many different breeds to choose from.  Bide-a-wee also has many beautiful cats too and many programs availble for pet owners, check out their website here, and see many pictures below and even MORE on our Facebook page!

Love the color on this car!

Look at this face! So cute, and available for adoption at Bide-a-wee.

This cutie pie, was just that a wiggling, waggling bundle of joy! Go visit her and maybe you may just fall in love!

This handsome fella Riley, was there was with his mom. Riley is a Bide-a-wee alum.

Tricked out Jeep!

See MORE Photo’s by clicking here! (LOTS OF CAR PICS & DOGGIES TOO!)

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

It was a spectacular day Saturday June 15, 2013 on the east end of Long Island to take part in the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons 27th Annual Garden Tour and cocktail reception.  The weather was impeccable just as the gardens were.  After all the rain we have had in the last week, touring estates in East Hampton and their beautiful gardens to help support the wonderful work ARF does on a perfect weather day was fantastic! Plus you get a lot of ideas for your own garden too.

So what is the garden tour? It is a self-guided tour through the properties of 6 estates who’s owners generously open their gates to let people walk through and admire the beauty of their grounds.  From 10 am – 4pm the general public can buy a garden tour pass from ARF to take the lovely self guided tour and all proceeds go to help ARF’s adoptable animals – and continue the great work they do, for nearly 40 years!  The tour happens every year in a different Hamptons location, this year it was in East Hampton and the garden styles vary from house to house and are very unique with native plants and exotic plants too.  See below for more!

This home had beautiful pathways leading up to a spectacular pool complete with a pool house, and paths
beyond it that lead to a tennis court and the rest of the grounds of the house.

Adorable Doxie greeting guests as they arrived!

This year the tour was held at the homes of: Barrie Berg & Antonio Munoz, Dwyer & Michael Derrig,
Alexandra Munroe & Robert Rosenkranz, Jan & Randy Slifka, Craig James Socia, Peter Wilson & Scott Sanders.

We saw one couple do the tour on bike which is a great way to do it, otherwise you have to drive from house to house.
I am thinking next year would be great to view the houses via my bicycle!

Barbara Slifka co-chair of the ARF Garden Tour with Sara Davison Executive Director of ARF

ARF cocktail reception at a home right on Main street in East Hampton village. Many supporters were on
hand as well as the adorable pups below that are available for adoption through ARF.

Marc Fichandler Co-Chair of the Garden Tour with Lynn Lehocky committee member of the Garden Tour

To see MORE Pictures of the tour, click here!
For more information about ARF and to attend the garden tour next year, click here.

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

The 2nd Annual ‘Long Island’s Best’ adoption event hosted by ARF (Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons) was held at the Riverhead Polish Hall on Saturday, April 6th, 2013.  In addition to ARF there were other Long Island rescue groups on hand with many adorable dogs, cats, puppies and a couple kittens looking for furever homes.

The rescue groups at the event were:

Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF)
www.arfhamptons.org

Kent Animal Shelter
www.KentAnimalShelter.com

Town of Hempstead Animal Shelter
http://toh.li/animal-shelter

North Fork Animal Welfare League
http://main.nfawl.org

Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation
http://www.southamptonanimalshelter.com

RSVP – Animal Rescue & Welfare Group
http://www.rsvpinc.org

Were you at the adoption event? Did you adopt a pet?  Would love to hear from you in the comments section below!

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Top hat and all this Basset is ready to Pawty! Photo Credit: ThePuparazzi

by Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

On Saturday night, August 18th I was invited to The Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons (ARF) annual Beach Ball, with this years theme the ‘Jewels of Summer’ appropriately so for who the evening honored.  A lovely event held at the Bridgehampton Tennis & Surf Club, you can’t go wrong when you are literally over looking the beach, surrounded by pets up for adoption and of course some Hamptons and NYC celebrities.

Everyone there had the same mindset, that it’s about rescuing and caring for the animals.  The affair was emceed by NBC’s Chuck Scarborough – who you may not know that he and his wife Ellen are ardent supporters of various rescue organizations, including ARF, but they are also proud parents of their own adopted pets.  Chuck did a great job and he was also pretty funny when describing his pets and how he and Ellen recently just adopted another dog.  (Way to go!)

There was a cocktail hour with a lot of hors d’oeurves being passed around a raw bar and a lot of picture taking and laughter happening – everywhere you went people were talking about their own pets or a pet they were thinking of adopting.  So while to the rest of LI – it might seem like just another ‘Hamptons’ event with celebrities, it wasn’t just about that, it’s all about the animals, and ok and maybe a little about what some of the guests were wearing.

This year’s Beach Ball honored Candy Udell the President of London Jewelers and Founder of Rescue Paw Foundation.  ARF recognized Candy with the ARF Champion of Animals Award  for her tireless efforts, generosity and dedication to animal welfare.  Candy has a jewelry line called, ‘Our Cause For Paws‘ and the sale of the jewelry helps provide grants to qualified Not-for-Profit organizations that operate facilities to provide care and shelter for animals who have been rescued; seek qualified adoptive owners for saved animals; promote, foster and advance the adoption of rescued animals; stimulate interest and concern in the prevention of abuse and neglect of animals; and promote the prevention of animal overpopulation through spay and neuter programs.

l to r: Kathleen Rice Nassau County District Attorney; Candy Udell President London Jewelers; and Chuck Scarborough NBC News Anchor

Candy was introduced and given the award by Nassau County District Attorney, Kathleen Rice.  Who is also an animal lover and has her own adopted dog too.    Kathleen has also recently really started taking big initiative with the Nassau County SPCA, and proposing bills that strengthen the laws of  people who are animal abusers.

“All of us at ARF were delighted with the success of the 2012 Beach Ball—Jewels of Summer.  You can’t have a better honoree than Candy Udell, President of London Jewelers and Kathleen Rice and Chuck Scarborough as presenter and Emcee were top notch.  $250,000 was raised to help cats and dogs in need at ARF,” said  Sara Davison, Executive Director of ARF.

ARF Board Member, Lisa McCarthy; Francis Hayward of Be Kind to Animals; and Sara Davison, Executive Director at ARF

There was also a silent auction at the event and adorable dogs, puppies, cats and kittens on hand for adoption in the new ARF adoption van. 

For more information on how you can get involved with ARF go to www.ARFHamptons.org.  See the slide show of pictures below!