Furry, fabulous fun at Atlanta Humane Society's Bow Wow Brunch

A crowd of two and four-legged party goers packed the Flourish event venue Sunday afternoon for the third annual Bow Wow Brunch, benefiting the Atlanta Humane Society.

Local real estate mogul Jenny Pruitt was honored with the 2018 Anne Cox Chambers Humane Heroine Award. Chambers, a longtime supporter of the Atlanta Humane Society, and for whom the organization's Alpharetta adoption center is named, is a principal owner of Cox Media Group, which operates The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"She loves animals, she loves all animals," organization president Cal Morgan said of Pruitt, CEO and founder of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty. "She's truly been a servant leader in this community."

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Pruitt and her husband share their home with their Shih Tzu Molly while Toby, a rescue Goldendoodle, is an unofficial staff member at her Buckhead office. Different agents take him home every night.

“A comfort dog for the office,” is how she describes her fluffy colleague.

Pruitt highlighted the mission of this year’s event in her remarks.

“Of the over $500,000 that will be raised today, some of it will be for the creation of the Cruelty Investigation Division of the Atlanta Humane Society,” she announced. “Now that abusing animals is a felony in the state of Georgia, this division will greatly assist in ending the abuse of our precious furry angels.”

Credit: Jennifer Brett

Gov. Nathan Deal in 2016 signed legislation allowing law enforcement agencies to require anyone whose animals are seized to pay for the animals' care while a criminal case is prosecuted.

"The new law ensures that animals who are victims of illegal animal cruelty get the care that they deserve," Debra Berger, the Georgia director for The Humane Society of the United States, said at the time.

Also honored on Sunday were Julie Badger, Allie Fahey, Amy Gray, Alex Martinez, Dodie Pleiss, Aubrey Sabala and Maggie Tarver, the Class of 2018 Heroes. The designation salutes advocates who provide key fundraising support. Morgan announced two additional surprise honorees, Lisa Fuller and Kay Quigley, who were saluted with the Heart of AHS Award. Both work with Pruitt's firm.

“It’s no coincidence that she has team members who work as hard so hard to make Atlanta a better place,” Morgan said.

Credit: Jennifer Brett

The annual Bow Wow Brunch, sponsored by the Petco Foundation, it is the Atlanta Humane Society’s biggest annual fundraiser. The organization serves more than 30,000 animals and places more than 11,000 in forever homes each year.

The event was chaired by Lisa and Paul Brown and Cindy and Bill Voyles, with Katherine Dorsett Bennett, Jessica Chandler, Chelsea Dennis, Fuller, Jennifer Healey, Laurie Mallis, M.J. Nock, Maggie Ryan, Sabala, Katherine Tolliday and Alex Wilson serving on the planning committee. Guests included Tracie Arnold, Wanda Broadwater, Michelle and Tom Davis, Jane Dean, Cheryl Espy, Wendy Foulke, Margaux Espy Pollock and Dottie Smith.

Cupcake and Junebug, two adorably cuddly shepherd-mix puppies, melted hearts throughout the event and by the time it was over, they'd been adopted. They and Emily Flowers are family now.

Here are some more photos: