Barks and Botox at the Peninsula hotel

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It wasn’t your typical Thursday night event at the posh Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills. Sure, there were plenty of well-heeled socialites and celebrities drinking wine and bidding on silent auction items, but mingling among them were several shelter dogs in need of a home, shaking in the arms of women who cradled them like babies.

‘Barks and Botox’ was a charity event held in one of the elegant ballrooms of the hotel, hosted by Beverly Hills facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Davis Nguyen and drew a crowd of a couple hundred people, many patients of Nguyen, who came to support the Animal Advocates Alliance.

Songwriter (and recent Golden Globes winner) Diane Warren, singer Taylor Dayne and actress Kathrine Narducci, attended, as well as a slew of people interested in possibly adopting a dog or cat through the Animal Advocates Alliance or, at the very least, to learn about the animals waiting for homes.

It probably didn’t hurt that Nguyen added a little incentive to help boost adoptions -- for every animal adopted through the charity, he will donate Botox services to the new pet owner.

‘A friend of mine is such a fervent warrior for animals, and I’ve been so impressed with her level of compassion for this organization,’ says Nguyen, who is also double boarded and an ear, nose and throat doctor in addition to perfecting the faces of some of Beverly Hills’ most well-pampered people. ‘Tonight it’s all about the animals.’

-- Melissa Magsaysay

Photos: Kathrine Narducci and Diane Warren at the Barks and Botox event at the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills. Credit: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images