Exclusive | Pets strut their stuff at NYFW charity show: ‘They have very big personalities’

Meow out the way, these dogs are renaming the catwalk the dog-walk.

Elysian Impact held its second annual Catwalk Furbaby fashion show on Thursday, showcasing over 20 models paired with posh pooches wearing designer brands from Tommy Hilfiger to Nicole Miller.

“I’ve never walked a runway in my life, and now I’m doing it with a dog, which has a whole other set of challenges,” Kristin Thorne, an EyeWitness News reporter playing model for the day, told The Post.

Wearing a white multicolored cheetah-printed trench coat designed by Lev-I-Rosa, Thorne said she only had “a few minutes” to connect with Chester, a black-and-white pooch from Animal Advocates of Barnwell County, before strutting down the runway. But as a dog mom herself, she knew giving Chester a sniff and a hug would help.

“I went off with what his energy was, so if his energy was scared, I slowed down,” she said. “I reminded myself this isn’t about me. It’s about him and raising awareness for welfare.”

Organizations such as New York City Second Chance Rescue selected dogs serving pawe-some energy to be models, like Cattle dog mix Eunice and Donna Summer, a 3-year-old Great Pyrenees mix.

“We were looking for dogs who would like the spotlight and aren’t going to get nervous on stage,” Katie McEntee, the director for partnerships for the rescue group, told The Post. “They have very big personalities!”

Their team was so confident that the hounds would slay the dogwalk that they didn’t even practice with them before the show.

“They did it on the fly today, so that shows how good of a model they are,” McEntee chuckled. “The rescue dogs always step up to the challenge.”

For the second year, Elysian Impact paired designers, models, rescue animals and charities to raise proceeds for non-profit organizations that support animal welfare, such as the Companion Animal Alliance, Animal Advocates of Barnwell County, Animal Ashram, Operation Kindness, NYC Second Chance Rescue, Spartanburg, Humane and Rescue Dogs Rock.

Attendees were asked to cast their votes through donations for the pairs they thought slayed the runway.

While every group was grateful for the contributions they received, they emphasized throughout the show which rescue dogs were looking for a home, too.

Donna Summer, a stray dog who strutted her stuff modeling Pelush, is still looking for her fur-ever home. The 61-pound fluff ball was found pregnant on the side of a road when she was rescued, and soon after, she gave birth to 11 beautiful babies.

However, Eunice, who had been hit by a car before she was rescued, impressed the audience members so much that she left the event as an adopted dog.

Before the show began, many attendees were most excited to see the ensembles the dogs would wear. Lisa Blanco, the cofounder of Second Chance Rescue, said the outfits are “the most exciting part.”

“I want to see all the dogs walking, it’s the cutest thing ever!” Pedro Alberto, the director of the New York City International Fashion Film Festival, told The Post.

Meanwhile, Maribel Liberman, the founder of MarieBelle New York Chocolates and one of the three judges for the event, was scoring the modeling duo based on their connection.

“Love towards the animal and the connection that the owner has toward the dog is important,” the dog mom of two told The Post. “The outfit doesn’t matter, it’s the connection and conversation between the owner and the dog.”

“It’s a show that has a lot of heart and soul, trying to raise a lot of money for a lot of important causes,” said Fern Mallis, the former head of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, who returned this time as an emcee instead of a judge.

Mallis, who owns a black cat named Dimples, said she “couldn’t imagine my life without a pet. They bring so much joy, love, and unconditional love into your life.”

Socialite and philanthropist Jean Shafiroff confessed she was nervous about walking the runway with her 55-pound rescue dog, Rosita, who she adopted from Antigua.

“It’s going to be a struggle because if she sees all the lights, she’ll probably run away,” Shafiroff, a board member for the New York Women’s Foundation, joked. “She’s a very good dog but has a mind of her own.”

Despite her nerves, Shafiroff and “Rosita the Diva,” both clad in gowns with gold embellishments designed by 2024 Fashion Institute of Technology graduate Ashley Plasse, cleared the catwalk with style and grace.

“I’m not a real model,” Shafiroff added, but she wishes “all the contestants, the doggies and everybody good luck because they’re all winners.”