Word to the fashion savvy: You’re just not worthy of your high-end fashion magazine subscription until you’ve seen a poodle in purple sequins strut a runway. Your style credentials aren’t credible until you’ve seen a Dachshund don Harley black leather, or a Bernese Mountain dog in a vivid colored hula skirt. And frankly, you just haven’t lived until you’ve watched a Chihuahua sashay the catwalk working a hot pink bikini.
For 20 years, the Pet Therapy Dog Foundation of Boca Raton, a non-profit Florida group, has presented free canine couture shows at hospices, nursing homes and gathering places for the elderly in hopes of bringing smiles to those who need it most. “People get a real kick out of it,” says founder Lynn Hunt Hoffman, who, by the way, also organizes animal weddings and bridal shows. “And the dogs love the applause.”
Hoffman first dabbled in pet therapy 30 years ago, when she began taking her Italian Greyhounds to visit retirement communities and older shut-ins. “I loved my dogs so much I just wanted to share them,” she expresses. Hoffman collected money each year for the Salvation Army during the holidays and naturally brought her dogs, dressed in Santa hats and coats. “I’d let them carry the money buck-ets,” she describes. “It was received so well that I decided to spread the joy to more people.”
Hoffman began searching stores for dog clothing, and eventually purchased a black Harley Davidson jacket for one of her Italian Greyhounds. “Then we bought him a Big Wheel. He’d wear the jacket while pushing the Big Wheel around,” she exclaims. “He loved it!” And so did the entertained onlookers.
Hoffman’s passion for dressing her doggies in stylish duds ultimately led her to launch her Pet Therapy Foundation. The group not only holds monthly fashion shows for Alzheimer’s’ Centers, Easter Seals facilities and other organizations, but offers training for would-be canine models and their faithful owners. The group currently has eighteen dog/owner teams that each paid $75 to undergo six months of model training.
Not only are Hoffman’s shows good for the soul – they’re good for the heart, too! Literally! “Studies prove that petting animals actually can lower blood pressure levels,” affirms Hoffman. Pet Therapy Foundation encourages the senior audiences to pet the dogs during performances. “The tactile stimulation is great, because it allows people to live healthier lives. Our shows bring such joy to people.” It’s virtually impossible to resist Hoffman’s glam pooch posse, which include a bevy of every breed imaginable. Boxers and Bichon Frise, to Golden Retrievers and Hoffman’s beloved Italian Greyhounds thrill spectators. Fashion shows feature casual wear (dresses, smocks, skirts); a fantasy collection (hula girls, firemen, strippers and butterflies) and formal wear (evening gowns, tuxes with tails and top hats). The models act and perform amusing tricks as wl.
“Everyone loves the shows, and everyone has an opinion,” Hoffman adds. “Even the men laugh with the dogs, not at them. They can’t help themselves.” For more information about Pet Therapy Foundation of Boca Raton, call 561-367-0798.
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