NIGHTLIGHT: Ragazzi Dog Event
The Whom You Know Dog Panel attended the lovely Ragazzi canine soiree recently! They reported:
What do a 200-lb English Mastiff, a 12-year-old brindle junkyard dog, and assorted cute and cuddly canines in Burberry bags, prancing at the end of leashes and soliciting belly rubs in a large white space with “Love. Unconditional.” projected onto the walls have in common? They showed up – with owners in tow – for the Oct. 21st launch of Ragazzi Life, a brand new lifestyle site for the “uncompromising dog parent.”
And boy, did they have fun! Held at the Helen Mills Theater in Chelsea, over 100 owners snacked on hors d’oeuvres, sipped wines from Argentina’s Trapiche vineyards, enjoyed Tito’s Handmade Vodka concoctions and resisted doggie treats in ceramic bowls placed at an all-too tempting human level, while the guests of honor got to run in a special area surrounded by a white picket fence tended by volunteers in Animal Haven t-shirts. They eluded the “pawparazzi’ circling the room and posed for $5 photos that put them on the cover of Time magazine or against a backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. They also enjoyed unconditional love shown them by dog parents the room over. And Love. Unconditional. is the heart and soul of Ragazzi Life. Founded by Francesca, a “real Italian from Rome and not Bay Ridge,” the site, which right now features Ragazzi’s dog-friendly products, will expand to become, Francesca envisions, the go-to social networking site for dog owners. Ragazzi means guys in Italian, which is what Francesca calls her own dogs, Joplin and Mario, and Life, because what is life without dogs? “It’s about how they make it better, richer, and more meaningful,” says Francesca.
While slides of dogs, dogs and their owners and some of Ragazzi Life’s products flashed behind her, a German Wirehaired Pointer named Izzy cavorted with Madeline, a rat terrier mix. Over near the wooden l-shaped bar, Hazel, a red-nose rescue from Stray from the Heart, grinned big for admirers who couldn’t help but stroke her silky ears. Cookie, the 12-year-old junkyard dog, had had enough by 8:30 and led his owner right out the door – but not before stopping for one last souvenir of the evening – a doggy bag!
