Gala chair Jean Shafiroff, Board President Jonathan McCann, and Georgina Bloomberg

The Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation (SASF) held its 5th Annual Unconditional Love Gala on Saturday, July 19TH at a private waterfront home in Southampton. and Chairwoman Emeritus Susan Allen hosted this year’s James Bond themed event, which honored animal advocate Georgina Bloomberg. Mayor Michael Bloomberg, came out to support Georgina and the Shelter, as did Southampton Mayor Mark Epley and Mayoral candidate John Catsimatidis and his wife, Margo.

Honorary Corporate Chairs for the Unconditional Love Gala included Allen & Co., Barclays, Ferguson Cohen, LLP and Sequin Jewelry. Beth Stern, Les Alexander and Liz Brown, Amanda Taylor, Sharon Bush, Joel Cooper, Valentine and Yaz Hernandez, Bob and Jewel Morris were among the supporters, enjoying dinner by Robbins Wolfe Eventeurs and dancing to the music of the Alex Donner Orchestra. The real stars of the evening were the cutest kitty cats and chow mix puppies, seven adult and baby Chihuahuas and a loveable bulldog mix who were all up for adoption and circled around the ball gowns at the party.

Georgina Bloomberg, Jean Shafiroff, Mike Bloomberg and Beth Stern

Emcee Rachel Grant [former Bond Girl] welcomed over 300 guests to the event and introduced Jean Shafiroff who thanked everyone that made the evening a great success including Susan Allen, auction chairs Amy Cosman and Nancy Jane Loewy, Board Members Clif and Raya Knight, Martin Shafiroff, Jackie Shafiroff, Elizabeth Shafiroff and Wendy Wegner who also helped make the auction, which included trips to St. Barth and Anguilla, a stay in a German castle, and a weekend in Manchester, Vermont, possible.

Joy Marks, Pamela Suskind

Proceeds raised from the Unconditional Love Gala help SASF to continue to care for over 1,200 homeless animals per year. These animals are rescued locally within the Hamptons. Proceeds from the event will also support the shelter’s ongoing efforts made through their partnerships throughout the U.S. This includes their work with No More Tears Rescue to rehabilitate and find homes for adult dogs rescued from puppy mills, with The Humane Society of Northwest Georgia to take in dogs on death-row and find them permanent homes, and with the ASPCA to save dogs from cruelty and disaster situations and place them in safe homes.

Proceeds will also benefit the shelter’s various programs that help special needs children, along with educating, mentoring and implementing SASF’s “Playing For Life” program, created by their Training & Behavior Director, Aimee Sadler, which is currently in over 40 shelters and highlighted at the major animal conferences throughout the U.S.

ABOUT SOUTHAMPTON ANIMAL SHELTER FOUNDATION:

Southampton Animal Shelter Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing for the welfare of homeless pets in our community and, in turn, placing them in permanent caring homes. SASF has been called one of the most progressive shelters in the country, having recently won an award as the finest shelter on Long Island and ranked in the top 10% of the best rated shelters in the U.S. In addition, the Shelter leads the country with its “live release rate”, which means that of all dogs and cats brought to the shelter, 94% are adopted into loving homes. SASF is an open intake shelter that welcomes stray pets regardless of age, breed, or health providing them with the finest care, food, training, and medical attention. No adoptable animal is left behind! To learn more, please visit SASF’s website at www.southamptonanimalshelter.com or their Facebook page at www.facebook.com/southamptonanimalshelter

**All photos in this feature by Rob Rich/Societyallure.com