Posted: May 31, 2008, 5 a.m. EDT
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Actor Cristián de la Fuente, Ivanka Trump with her dog Tiger, and celebrity pet photographer Christopher Amerouso celebrated with Milk-Bone.
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New York City added to its list of attractions with the construction of the world’s largest doghouse, the Milk-Bone Moments Dog House. The brand celebrated its 100th anniversary in Times Square by throwing a birthday bash in honor of dogs on Wednesday, May 21.
The 480-square-foot doghouse, covered with more than 100,000 of the company’s dog biscuits, also featured autographed photos of celebrity dog lovers and their four-legged family members; an elaborate cake created by the Food Network’s “Ace of Cakes”; a pet psychic that did “paw reading”; doggie dancing demonstrations and plenty of dog snacks provided by the “bark-tenders.”
Ivanka Trump and Cristián de la Fuente of “Dancing With The Stars” were on hand to help celebrate with their canine companions. The event featured the presentation of a $1 million donation in honor of the brand’s Canine Heroes program, a longstanding national outreach program that provides service dogs to individuals with physical disabilities, as well as police dogs for law enforcement agencies.
“We are thrilled to celebrate this incredible milestone and want to thank the millions of dogs, as well as their pet parents, who make Milk-Bone dog snacks a special part of their lives,” said Matthew Park, vice president marketing, Del Monte Foods. “Today, we are celebrating 100 years of special, silly, heart-warming, and magical moments with our four-legged friends … and we look forward to celebrating many more wonderful moments for years to come.”
As part of the year-long anniversary celebration, dog owners can enter their pictures in the Make a Milk-Bone Moment contest by visiting the brand’s site through Sept. 18. The company seeks pictures and videos that capture the times shared with family pets. The grand prize will be a $100,000 contract to serve as the company’s first SpokesDog, plus a digital camera to record the year’s activities.