'Autographed Hounds of Broadway 2009' Set For Silent Auction At BROADWAY BARKS 7/11

The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals has introduced the 2009 cast of the "Autographed Hounds of Broadway," which will be showcased and sold at the silent auction at Broadway Barks, the star-studded dog and cat adoption event taking place on Saturday, July 11, in Shubert Alley (between 44th and 45th Streets, just west of Broadway).

The "Hounds" - one-of-a-kind stuffed dogs that are signed by the casts (and in some cases, decorated by the wardrobe departments) of some of Broadway's hottest shows - will be auctioned to raise money for the Picasso Veterinary Fund of the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals.

The Picasso Veterinary Fund, founded by Bernadette Peters and Mary Tyler Moore in 2003 and administered by the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, pays for extraordinary medical care for sick and injured dogs and cats who come in to Animal Care & Control of NYC (A&C). These animals then are transferred to other Mayor's Alliance Participating Organizations - shelters and rescue groups - that find them new homes. Traditionally, animals requiring this level of medical care would be euthanized because the resources to care for them aren't available. Thanks to the Picasso Veterinary Fund, each year hundreds of these animals get a second chance for a bright future.

The "Autographed Hounds of Broadway" made their debut on Friday, June 26, at the Christofle boutique at 680 Madison Avenue. Pre-bids will be accepted at the store until July 10. (Later in the month, Christofle will host two special shopping days, when it will donate 15% of the store's sales to the Picasso Veterinary Fund.)

On July 11, the Hounds will be on display at Broadway Barks beginning at 3:30 p.m., where bids may be placed in the silent auction. Some of the 20 shows represented are All My Sons, Billy Elliott, Blithe Spirit, Hairspray, The Little Mermaid, The Phantom of the Opera, South Pacific, West Side Story, and more.

The full cast of the "Autographed Hounds of Broadway" can be found at www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org/broadway/hounds.php.

Pre-bidding on an "Autographed Hound of Broadway" began at the Christofle store on Friday, June 26th. Bidding in the silent auction will continue at Broadway Barks on July 11, where final bids will be accepted. Bids will start at $150.00. Payment may be made by check, cash, or credit card.

For more information, visit www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org/broadway.

The Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, Inc., founded in 2002 and powered by Maddie's Fund, The Pet Rescue Foundation, is a coalition of more than 160 animal rescue groups and shelters that are working with the City of New York to find homes for every cat and dog in the city who needs one. For more information about the Mayor's Alliance, its participating organizations and pet adoptions, please visit the Mayor's Alliance web site at www.AnimalAllianceNYC.org.

Administered by the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals, the Picasso Veterinary Fund pays for lifesaving medical treatment for sick and injured animals transferred from Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C) to other Alliance Participating Organizations (APOs) for adoption. For more information visit, www.PicassoVeterinaryFund.org