Purrrrfectly Lovely Day and Setting for Potter League's 4th annual Tea for Tails

Anne & David Ford, Jr. with their children at Miramar

It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and Miramar, the lovely Bellevue Avenue home of David Ford, was the purrrrfect setting for the Potter League’s fourth annual Tea for Tails held recently. This year’s event honored animal lover, Ruth Hale Buchanan.

Mrs. Buchanan has shared her life with countless canine friends and continually demonstrates that dogs are not our whole life but make our lives whole. Dede Wilsey recently named the Behavior and Training Room at the Potter League in honor of her mother, Ruth, and jokes that she did it in part because their dogs were always in need of training.

Oatsie Charles and Nuala Pell were the honorary chairs for this year’s party. The Tea for Tails Committee included: Holly Bannister, Tish and Mike Behan, James Berwind, Sherry and Mark Brice, Lisette Prince de Ramel, Carolyn Dupont, Terry Grosvenor, Michael and Mary Hayes, Wendy Harvey, Judy McLennan, Carol Miller and Mark Hugo, Jane and Jim Moore, Bettie Pardee, John Peixinho, Linda and Jack Purdy, Tara Quinn Reilly, Kim Renk and Greg Dryer, Denise Roberts, Susie and Jay Schochet, Helene and Archie van Beuren, Mary van Pelt, Alison and Bill Vareika, Teryn and Karl Weintz, and Brenda and Jay Wilson.

Evoking summer in an ant hat

Stasia Anthony of Exquisite Events orchestrated the event. Guests sipped on minted iced tea, Prosecco and peach Bellinis while enjoying delectable tea sandwiches, delicious scones and adorable cupcakes decorated with cat and dog faces.

Auctioneer Hector Rodriquez raised nearly $10,000 to help care for the 2,000 animals who need refugee each year at the Potter League. Live auction items included diamond and pink pearl earrings from Three Golden Apples, a pet portrait by award-winning artist, Carol Miller, a generous gift certificate to the Newport Restaurant Group, a charter on the Schooner Aurora and a $3,000 spending spree at Sequin on Bellevue Avenue along with two tickets to the Badgley Mischka Fall Fashion Show in New York City.

But tea guests really responded to a passionate plea by board member Deborah Elliott who led a reverse auction to raise funds for the Potter League’s Fetching Friends Program. Fetching Friends is a life-saving transport program which brings dogs and puppies facing dire circumstances in rural southern shelters to the Potter League in Middletown where adopters eagerly await their arrival. Woofs go out to the generous guests who donated $36,000 for this critical program and whose contributions will help save the lives of over 350 more dogs and puppies! All told, over $76,000 was raised for the animals at the Potter League on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon.

-- Pat Heller