Bernadette Peters & Her Dog Kramer Host Bidawee's Gala On The Green Tonight

Broadway star, author, and animal advocate Bernadette Peters and her beloved rescue dog Kramer, will host Bideawee's largest fundraising event of the year, Bideawee's Gala on The Green tonight starting at 6:30 pm.

Guests will also get the opportunity to meet Chanel, the world's oldest dog. Chanel is 147 years old in dog years and will soon be 21 years old in human years. Chanel is recognized by the Guinness World Records and recently celebrated her 21st birthday in New York City. Just like your grandma, her hair is completely white, she gets cold easily and needs glasses (or in this case, "doggies" for her cataracts).

Bideawee is one of the nation's oldest and largest humane organizations in the country and the event will showcase "Pet Adoption as the Green Option" and raise funds to benefit Bideawee and its mission to promote healthy, loving, long-term relationships between people and pets.

The Gala, held at the prestigious Tavern on The Green in Central Park, Manhattan, will begin with a cocktail hour at 6:30 pm, dinner at 7:30 pm, followed by an award presentation honoring animal advocates, with dancing to a live orchestra.

This year canine companions are invited to join their masters for this glamorous evening. Presenters of the evening include CBS Early Show correspondent Dr. Debbye Turner Bell, Mike and Juliet Show host Mike Jerrick, supermodel and animal advocate Paulina Porizkova, NBC's Today Show correspondent and animal lover Jill Rappaport.

Other celebrities attending tonight's Gala include TV personality and radio talk show host Montel Williams, singer and song writer Roberta Flack, child actress Hallie Kate Eisenberg and child actor Josh Flitter along with Dr. Ruth Westheimer, world-renowned sex therapist.

Media is invited to the cocktail hour at 6:30 to 7:30 pm.

The honorees of the evening are:

Ellen Grimes: Animal lover and Bideawee Board Emerita
Missy: The Reading to Dogs Therapy Dog
Iams Pet Food and the Iams Home 4 the Holidays Campaign
Presenting sponsor: The Allmen Foundation

Live Auction Host: Julie White

Black tie optional

Founded in 1903 by Mrs. Flora D'Auby Jenkins Kibbe, Bideawee, which means "stay awhile" in Scottish, is one of the oldest and largest humane organizations in the United States. You can visit Bideawee at one of our three sites; Wantagh and Westhampton on Long Island or in Manhattan. With adoption centers in Manhattan and Westhampton, Bideawee is home to approximately 150- 200 animals at any time and places thousands of dogs, cats, puppies and kittens in loving homes every year. The organization also operates two full-service veterinary practices in Manhattan and Westhampton and is home to two of the oldest and largest Pet Memorial Parks in the country located in Wantagh and Westhampton, NY.

Bideawee's Learning Centers in all three locations provide a wide range of educational programs and fun activities that help strengthen the bond between people and pets. Our mission is to promote and support safe, loving, long-term relationships between people and companion animals by providing a continuum of services and programs that are innovative, personalized and of high quality.

Bideawee is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 humane organizations and 100% of Bideawee's funding comes from private sources. For more information, please visit www.bideawee.org.