Bernadette Peters and Malcolm McDowell Host BROADWAY BARKS Today

Bernadette Peters and Broadway Barks have established the annual Mary Tyler Moore Award, which will be given out each year at the event to an individual or group who has changed the lives of homeless animals in a way that encourages others to do the same.

This inaugural award will be given to Sophie Gamand, the award-winning French photographer and animal advocate who lives and works in New York City. Since 2010, Gamand has been focusing on humans and dogs and their relationships. Gamand travels throughout the USA photographing shelter animals to help bring awareness to their fate and help find them permanent homes.

Gamand has won several prestigious photography awards for her work (including the 2014 Sony World Photography Award), as well as advocacy awards for her dedication to animal rescue and adoption. Sophie's two well-known photography series are Wet Dog and Flower Power, pit bulls of the Revolution. Her work has also been published in the press worldwide, online and in print, i.e. Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Her first book Wet Dog was published in October 2015.

The award was created as a lasting honor to Moore, the legendary stage and screen actress who co-founded Broadway Barks with Peters in 1999. Moore passed away earlier this year.

The 19th annual Broadway Barks, the star-studded dog and cat adoption event benefiting New York City animal shelters and adoption agencies, will feature celebrities from the hottest shows currently on Broadway. Today's event, produced by Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, will take place in Shubert Alley (located between 44th and 45th Streets, between Broadway and Eighth Avenues). Festivities begin at 3 p.m.; celebrity presentations of adoptable pets take place between 5-6:30 p.m. The rain or shine event is free and open to the public.

Early birds get a special treat at 12 p.m., when this year's hosts, Bernadette Peters and Malcolm McDowell, will appear in the alley and sign copies of the 2017 Broadway Barks poster and Playbill designed by Kelly McDowell. Posters, Playbills and official merchandise will be for sale with 100% of the proceeds to benefit Broadway Barks.

Just announced to join the event are Broadway favorites Kate Baldwin (Hello, Dolly!), Barrett Doss (Groundhog Day), Mamie Parris (Cats), Chad Kimball (Come From Away), Mimi Lieber (Indecent), Jelani Remy (The Lion King), Jennifer Simard (Hello, Dolly!), Michael Xavier (Sunset Boulevard).

They join these previously announced celebrity participants:

Christy Altomare (Anastasia)

James Barbour (Phantom of the Opera)

P.J. Benjamin (Wicked)

John Bolton (Anastasia)

Steven Booth (School of Rock-The Musical)

Petrina Bromley (Come From Away)

Sophia Anne Caruso (Lazarus)

Jenn Colella (Come From Away)

Corey Cott (Bandstand)

Gavin Creel (Hello, Dolly!)

Alma Cuervo (On Your Feet! The Musical)

Ariana DeBose (A Bronx Tale The Musical)

Siobhan Dillon (Sunset Boulevard)

John Dossett (War Paint)

Susan Dunstan (Come From Away)

Christine Ebersole (War Paint)

Jennifer Ehle (Oslo)

Kim Exum (The Book of Mormon)

Rebecca Faulkenberry (Groundhog Day)

Kathy Fitzgerald (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Jenn Gambatese (School of Rock-The Musical)

Janeane Garofalo (Marvin's Room)

Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton)

Jackie Hoffman (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

Jayne Houdyshell (A Dolls House, Part 2)

Ben Jacoby (Beautiful - The Carole King Musical)

Rachel Bay Jones (Dear Evan Hansen)

Andy Karl (Groundhog Day)

Kendra Kassebaum (Come From Away)

Derek Klena (Anastasia)

Beth Leavel (Bandstand)

Katrina Lenk (Indecent)

Laurie Metcalf (A Dolls House, Part 2)

Abby Mueller (Beautiful - The Carole King Musical)

Bebe Neuwirth

Eva Noblezada (Miss Saigon)

Caroline O'Connor (Anastasia)

Laura Osnes (Bandstand)

William Parry (Groundhog Day)

Mary Beth Peil (Anastasia)

Eric Petersen (School of Rock-The Musical)

David Hyde Pierce (Hello, Dolly!)

Condola Rashad (A Dolls House, Part 2)

Will Roland (Dear Evan Hansen)

Nic Rouleau (The Book of Mormon)

Charlie Russell (The Play That Goes Wrong)

Caesar Samayoa (Come From Away)

Brian Sears (The Book of Mormon)

Douglas Sills (War Paint)

Bobby Conte Thornton(A Bronx Tale The Musical)

Evan Todd (Beautiful - The Carole King Musical)

Taylor Trensch (Hello, Dolly!)

Celia Weston (Marvin's Room)

Betsy Wolfe (Waitress)

Jessica Keenan Wynn (Beautiful - The Carole King Musical)

(Subject to change)

Broadway Barks will feature adoptable animals from the following New York City area animal shelters and adoption agencies: Abandoned Angels Cocker Spaniels Rescue Inc, Adopt A Boxer Rescue, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), Animal Haven, Anjellicle Cats Rescue, Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons, BARC (Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition) Shelter, Bideawee, Bobbi and the Strays, City Critters, The Humane Society of New York, Husky House, Kitty Kind, Linda's Cat Assistance, The Little Shelter, Loving Touch, Manhattan Valley Cat Rescue, Metropolitan Maltese Rescue, Mid-Atlantic Great Dane Rescue League, Inc., New York Pet-I-Care, Pet ResQ Inc., P.L.U.T.O. Rescue of Richmond County, Jack Russell Refuge, SaveKitty Foundation, Sean Casey Animal Rescue, The Tigger Foundation, Urban Cat League and Yankee Golden Retriever Rescue, Inc.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is one of the nation's leading industry-based, nonprofit AIDS fundraising and grant-making organizations. By drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of the American theatre community, since 1988 BC/EFA has raised more than $285 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States.

Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the major supporter of the social service programs at The Actors Fund, including the HIV/AIDS Initiative, the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative and the Samuel J. Friedman Health Center for the Performing Arts. Broadway Cares also awards annual grants to more than 450 AIDS and family service organizations in all 50 states.

For more information about Broadway Barks please visit broadwaybarks.com. For more information about Broadway Cares, visit broadwaycares.org.