This week has been exceptionally chilly, but Lucky and I hit the town to scout out places in New York as part of our upcoming Travel issue of Animal Fair. Our first stop was the very pet friendly SoHo Grand, where Lucky got to order her own room service and wait for it on her exquisite luxury bed. The SoHo Grand has an exemplarity reputation when it comes to handling animals, so much so that you wonder if they're treating the dogs better than the humans! Lucky has the 411 on all the four legged pets checking in and out of New York's greatest hotels, including the SoHo Grand. Nicole Richie pups, Foxxy Brown and Honeychild; Jessica Simpson's Daisy; Christina Aguilera's KoKo and Paris Hilton's Tinkerbell  have all stayed at the SoHo Grand. After gobbling down her gourmet meal, Lucky and I hit up the bar scene in Brooklyn. Brooklyn's bar(k) scene has gotten quite extensive in the past few years, and places like the Brooklyn Ale House and Bar Great Harry even allow dogs indoors for drinks, just keep the alcohol away from the dogs. Also keep your eyes peeled while you're with your pooch at Bar Great Harry. The bar is known for low key celebrity appearances that include Ryan Gosling and Dave Matthews. If you enjoy drinking beer and would like to do so with your canine comrade best friend without the risk… try some Happy Tail Ale, the "only beer for dogs." Happy Tail Ale is available online and is starting to be carried in stores across the country. Lucky takes after her mom and one beer would be way too much… unless it was a Happy Tail!

 

With the weather so cold outside, the only thing Lucky and I could do to stay warm was go to Australia. We didn't exactly go to the country, it was more like the country came to us for Australia Week 2008 in New York, and Lucky and I attended their two-in-one opening-ceremony events at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The first of the dual events was a charity Wildlife Warriors Benefit Dinner for Queensland Government's Walk on the Wildside. The event partnered with Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, a charity started by the late animal legend, Steve Irwin and his wife, Terri Irwin. Both Terri Irwin and her nine year old daughter, and up and coming Discovery Kids star, Bindi Irwin, were there in memoriam for the "original Wildlife Warrior." US Ambassador for the Wildlife Warriors, Khaliah Ali (daughter of boxer Muhammad Ali) was also in attendance. Once the guests sat down to dinner, little Bindi serenaded the audience with a musical performance dedicated to saving the whales. All the profits to the dinner and charity auction (which bid off one of Irwin's last autographed uniforms) went towards preserving and conserving the wildlife and their natural habitats in the environmentally diverse Queensland. Following the dinner was a very special entertainment event called Australia Plays Broadway. Musical megastar, Qantas Goodwill Ambassador, and old friend of Lucky (John got Lucky in 2005), John Travolta kicked off the show with yet another adorable skit with Bindi. The show featured the talent of Tony Award winning tapper and Happy Feet choreographer Savion Glover, performances by roller-skating cast of Broadway's Xanadu as well as the musical talents of Australia's finest musicians including Shannon Noll, David Campbell, Lisa Moore, Aboriginal musician Richard Walley, and a performance by The Australian Dance Theatre. Looking around, Lucky seemed to be the only dog at the event that featured so many exotic animals. Lucky and I were both relieved that there were no crocodiles because she would have been an easy target, but thankfully animal handler Jack Hanna was nearby in case we ever needed to call for help.