Non-Profit Archives - Award-Winning Writer and Graphic Designer

Academy Award winner Jeff Bridges uses his celebrity to help solve hunger

dorriolds — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 21:28:25 +0000

Jeff Bridges, who has been dedicated to stamping out hunger for the past 30 years, is now starring in a powerful documentary, “A Place at the Table.” The film is brought to you by Participant Media, a company with an amazing track record of building social action campaigns and producing films like “Waiting for Superman” and “Inconvenient Truth.”

Bridges walked into the Soho hotel yesterday wearing a sharp yet unpretentious dark suit, classic brown leather shoes, a surprisingly long mostly-gray goatee and hair tied back in a ponytail. He comes across as the coolest dude; someone you’d want to spend hours hanging out with.
His passion for raising awareness and finding solutions for the ever-growing problem of hunger is infectious. If anybody can inspire much-needed changes on a governmental policy level, it’s him.
Examiner Dorri Olds: This movie clarifies the magnitude of the hunger problem. Why do you think we aren’t closer to a solution?
Jeff Bridges: One of the things I was excited about in Obama’s campaign was that he said, “We’re going to end childhood hunger by 2015.” That got all of the hunger organizations all excited. There were meetings and they all got their ideas together and figured it out. Now we have organized an even better plan but I’m disappointed in our government for not following through on that and not mentioning anything about hunger in recent speeches and the State of the Union.
It’s surprising to learn how many families are going hungry. Is this a new phenomenon because of our struggling economy?
An organization that I helped found in 1984 called End Hunger Network produced a film called “Hidden in America” and my brother Beau starred in it. That was back in 1996 but hunger in the U.S. is just as relevant today as it was then. It’s an embarrassing thing for our country to acknowledge that 1 in 5 kids don’t have enough food. Not only embarrassing for our government but also for the people who are struggling with that. There’s a social stigma for a kid in school to be labeled as so poor they need free food. Most kids would rather stay hungry than admit to being that poor.
It was disturbing to learn that food stamps only cover about $3 per day and that people can be obese and starving.
People need to wake up and take action. There’s a big step between thinking, ‘Geez, I could do something,’ and ‘I’m going to do something to help in my community.’ Each community has a different challenge and there are ways to address hunger.
What are you doing specifically for your community?
I’m in the entertainment business so I try to use that to put immediate attention on the issue of hunger but everybody can look into their own lives and ask themselves ‘How can I help with this problem of hunger?’ This is about patriotism. If another country were doing this to our kids, we would be at war.
There’s a project I’m working on in Santa Barbara where I live. I’m trying to promote community gardens. We have all of these public buildings with lawns out in front of them. Why not make them gardens? We could have nutritious food to eat. I’m trying to encourage classrooms to take on the gardens. You can learn about math and different countries through what’s growing in gardens. It could be a big part of the education. It’s also about educating your palette, what you’re used to eating. When you talk about obesity, your palette gets used to eating pizza pockets and you think, ‘That’s what I like.’ But if you’re used to eating red bell peppers and carrots and a tomato right off the vine, you’d think, ‘Wow! That’s what I like.’
The film explained that by not spending enough money to feed people it is costing us close to 167 billion dollars per year in healthcare and lost productivity.
Yes, and it doesn’t have to be this way.
Click here to visit the website and learn what you can do and to learn about Participant Media’s companion book to the movie.
“A Place at the Table” (84 minutes) opens March 1, in New York City at Sunshine Landmark Theatres, 143 East Houston Street; and Elinor Bunin Munroe Film Center, 165 West 65th Street.
Video from this interview

Jeff Bridges and “A Place at the Table”

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Article About Dr. Thomas Romo, III and his New York City-based Non-Profit: The Little Baby Face Foundation

dorriolds — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:25:51 +0000

It is an honor to have been published in the May issue of the OR Nurse Journal. My article is about Dr. Thomas Romo, III and his nonprofit organization, the Little Baby Face Foundation (LBFF). The foundation provides free surgery to children born with facial deformities including microtia, facial palsy, hemifacial microsomia, cleft lip / cleft palate, and additional craniofacial deformities. They treat children up to the age of 21. I’ve never known people like Dr. Romo and his wife Diane. They are devoted to helping others who are less fortunate. Dr. Romo says, ” I can’t draw and I can’t sing, but I can provide facial reconstructive plastic surgery, so that’s what I do.” Amazing people, amazing foundation. Click here to read the article.

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Prince Lorenzo Borghese and Other Animal Loving Celebrities Help Rescue Dogs From Kill Shelters

dorriolds — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 12:08:33 +0000

Prince Lorenzo Borghese, best known as the great catch on ABC’s ninth season of The Bachelor, is the founder of the Royal Pet Club, an animal loving company that sells organic pet wellness products. Lorenzo is also the founder of Animal Aid USA, a charity that celebrated its one-year anniversary this month in Manhattan. The audience was made up of a legion of well-known volunteers and animal supporters including Georgina Bloomberg, the daughter of NYC’s Mayor Bloomberg; Eric Trump, son of billionaire Donald; actors Bernadette Peters and Stephen Baldwin; Miss USA Nana Meriwether; Amanda Hearst; and animal activist Beth Ostrosky (Howard Stern’s wife).
As always with animal fundraisers, I was a tad nervous about attending for fear of seeing graphic photos of abused animals, which always make me want to sob or faint. Imagine my glee when the slideshow turned out to be a joyful celebration of now-healthy animals that have been saved by this non-profit.
Georgina Bloomberg told me, “Tonight is to raise awareness about Animal Aid and our mission to relocate abandoned animals from kill shelters into loving homes. Animal Aid USA has been instrumental in going to shelters in low income communities where there is a high population of homeless dogs, and rescuing these abandoned animals from being euthanized.”
Lorenzo Borghese said, “I want you to think about all those dogs dying each day in the United States. The stats are horrific and you feel like you can’t do anything about it. When you walk into a shelter where the dogs are all about to be euthanized and they’re looking at you, dying to get out, they’re barking, wagging their tails and they’re helpless. Looking into their eyes I want to take home every one of them but know I can’t. Then all of a sudden I met Karen Talbot and everything changed.”
Karen Talbot LaSasso wrote to Lorenzo about needing help with her cause. He thought it was just another person asking for money but as he read he became intrigued by how hard this woman works to save animals from kill shelters.
While talking about Karen, Lorenzo’s eyes lit up. He said, “She’s not a wealthy person and I think her husband, Dante, is in debt with five or six credit cards by now. Yet, these guys manage to rescue about 100 dogs a month on their own bank account.”
Instead of a wedding ring, Dante purchased Karen a transportation vehicle. For vacations they don’t fly to the Bahamas, instead they spend their time in cars driving down to Georgia to rescue animals.
Lorenzo teared up when he said, “I wanted to help Karen because I’ve never met anyone so devoted to rescuing animals.” He reminded the crowd that the celebratory event was also a fundraiser to help more animals. “I guarantee you,” said Lorenzo, “the money you donate to Animal Aid does not go to paychecks or pension plans. We are all volunteers and do it because we love to. That’s why we started Animal Aid. I’m very, very proud to be with you here tonight for our first anniversary. Within the past two weeks alone Animal Aid and its volunteers have saved the lives of 270 more dogs.”
Last month, the “New Year Caravan” went on its first road trip to rescue close to 200 dogs. Animal Aid USA volunteers make the trip every 30 days traveling 1,600 miles from New Jersey to Georgia to save shelter animals in poor neighborhoods. Animal Aid has also set up Miracle Ranch, a place to care for the pooches until they find forever homes.
Lorenzo, an Ambassador to the American Humane Association, has worked with North Shore Animal League, the ASPCA and Animal Care & Control of NYC (AC&C), a kill shelter. He said, “If you’re interested in what we’re doing over at the AC&C please email us. We’re going to try to take over the board so we can fix things.”
When I interviewed Lorenzo I learned that he donates $2 to Animal Aid USA every time a new customer buys from the Royal Pet Club. In addition, he donates five percent of the company’s annual profits. One big way to help is to switch over to buying your pet products through RPC. And, if you are interested in helping Lorenzo, Karen, Georgina and their team rescue adorable doggies please email Animal Aid. It will be an invaluable deposit into your lifelong karma bank.

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Broadway Tails: Heartfelt Stories of Rescued Dogs Who Became Showbiz Superstars

dorriolds — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 11:56:17 +0000

William “Bill” Berloni’s book, “Broadway Tails: Heartfelt Stories of Rescued Dogs Who Became Showbiz Superstars (Lyons Press),” was re-released Tuesday, September 4, 2012 with a brand new chapter on Sunny, a dog Berloni rescued to play Sandy in the new version of the Broadway musical, “Annie.”
Berloni has built an award-winning career out of rescuing dogs and turning them into stars. He’s an expert animal trainer and behavior consultant to the Humane Society of New York.
An Expert on Animal Behavior
Berloni’s first dog training job came when he was 19. It was 1976 and Berloni was interning at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut. They were putting on a production of “Annie,” an unknown musical. The mutt Berloni chose was an Airedale mix only two days away from being euthanized.
“I got the assignment to get the first Sandy as a fluke. I agreed to do a part in a show if I could find and train a dog. I went to an animal shelter because I heard they had cheap dogs. I was so moved to see the animals in this condition.”
He had no way of knowing then that he would become the premier animal trainer for Broadway shows—and film, and TV—over a 30-plus-year career.
It’s the Hard Knock Life
Berloni is convinced that abandoned dogs make the best canine actors. His view is that after their hard knock life landed them in a dog shelter, when finally rescued and treated well, these dogs are grateful, eager to please, and easy to train.
“If a dog can live with the stress of an animal shelter,” Berloni said, “being on stage is a luxury.”
He scouts for dogs that are calm in filthy, noisy, overrun shelters. These types of dogs have the ability to ignore what is going on around them and tend to be able to concentrate fully without becoming distracted by the audience, and actors onstage, in a packed theater performance.
Since its debut in 1977, all Broadway productions of “Annie” have starred real-life shelter dogs rescued and trained by Berloni.
See the Show, Help a Dog
To promote dog adoption, Pedigree© dog food teamed up with “Annie the Musical” to help raise $1 million to help dogs find loving homes. For each ticket sold—now through December 31, 2013—Pedigree will donate $2, up to $1 million to Pedigree Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping abandoned dogs find loving homes.
Upcoming Events
During the promotion of his newly re-released paperback, “Broadway Tails,” you can meet Bill Berloni in person at his book signing and author discussion events:
September 23, 2012, 3pm at Yale Barnes & Noble, New Haven, CT
October 14, 2012, 4pm at RJ Julia Booksellers, Madison, CT
This article was written for NBC Petside.

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Summer 2012 Fundraisers for Dog Rescues

dorriolds — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 10:29:20 +0000

Find fundraisers in your area to help make a difference in the world of dog rescues!

Wherever you live, it’s more than likely there are fun, summer doggie fundraisers going on right nearby. This is a great time of year to jump in the car or take a train for a day trip. I have compiled a list of 10 doggie fundraising events happening in August and September:
8/11/12 Detroit, Michigan Detroit Dog Rescue – Saturday, August 11, 10am–4pm, “Dog Days of Summer” Downtown Mount Clemens (map). This pet-centric day offers games, pet massages, groomers, obedience demonstrations, pet ID services, and I know you’ll love watching the Pet Parade! Admission is FREE.
8/11/12 Bedford Heights, Ohio Camp Bow Wow / Southeast Harley-Davidson – Saturday, August 11, 10am–2pm, “Hogs and Dogs (& Cats Too!)” Southeast Harley-Davidson, 23105 Aurora Road. Here’s another event offering pet massage—lucky dogs! Instruction will be given by a licensed pet massage therapist. There’s free face painting, raffles, refreshments, music by the Pop Tarts and a delightful parade of adoptable dogs. Aside from being a fundraiser, this event is also a pet supplies donation drive. Items to donate: dog and puppy shampoo and conditioner, leashes and collars, new toys, food and treats, towels and blankets, dog and cat beds, carriers, and whatever else a dog (or cat) would love. Admission is FREE.
8/11/12 La Crosse, Wisconsin Coulee Region Humane Society – Saturday, August 11, 9am–1pm (rain or shine), “Bark in the Park” Copeland Park, 1130 Copeland Park Drive. This is the 11th annual celebration, complete with canine costumes, a crowning of a canine king and queen, doggie games, a critter cash raffle drawing and the annual big bark. I live in New York City but I tell you, this sounds so fun I feel like hopping a plane to Wisconsin. Cost $25; early bird tickets $20.
8/12/12 Trappe, Pennsylvania All 4 Paws Rescue – Sunday, August 12, 11am–3pm, “Meet and Greet” Perk Valley Pet Eatery, 325 West Main Street. Dogs onsite will be eagerly waiting for you and your kids to come along and adopt them. Everybody needs a home and a family. Admission is FREE.
8/18/12 Valley Forge, Pennsylvania All 4 Paws Rescue – Saturday, August 18, 2012, 10am–2pm “Dog Days of Summer” Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge, 1601 Valley Forge Road. Free hot dogs, live music, fun and games including a scavenger hunt, face painting, contests and the patriotic pooch parade. FREE.
8/23/12 New York City Rescuzilla and Stewie to the Rescue – Thursday, August 23, 6pm, “Raise a Pint for Stewie & Rescuzilla!” Woodrow’s, 43 Murray Street. Admission is $10 and includes a raffle ticket and a pint of beer. Also available on tap: a fundraising bake sale to benefit rescues. There will be drink specials available too.
8/25/12 Jupiter, Florida Bring Fido / Big Dog Ranch Rescue) – Saturday, August 25, 2012, 11am–2pm, “Mutts and Mimosas” Woof Gang Bakery, Abacoa, 5500 Military Trail, Suite 12. Get ready for mimosas plus dog and human snacks. Dog adoptions include a free bag of dog food. Store-wide savings will be available. FREE. Note: If you’re traveling there, discounted rates at participating pet friendly hotels are available in Jupiter.
9/6/12 Alexandria, VA Lucky Dog Animal Rescue / Doggie Walker – Thursday, September 6, 2012, 7pm and 8pm, “Canine Cruise on the Potomac” Alexandria City Marina at Cameron and Union Streets. Hit the deck at 7pm or 8pm for your 40-minute dog-friendly public cruise. Adults $15, Kids $9, Dogs ride FREE.
9/13/12 New York City Celebrity Catwalk – Thursday, September 13, 2012, 5:30–8:30pm, “Paws & PJs for NYC’s Homeless Animals” to be held at Calument Photo, 20 West 22nd Street, 2nd floor, between 5th & 6th Avenues. Slip into your jammies and celebrate New York Fashion Week. What you can expect: pampering stations for pups, a silent auction spectacular, refreshments and doggie bags, pup-parazzi photos, cutest dog contest (male and female), cutest owner contest. Oooh, and you get to meet one of ABC’s Bachelors: Prince Lorenzo Borghese! Avoid waiting at the door by buying early bird tickets $30.
9/22/12 Nashville, TN Nashville Humane Association – Saturday, September 22, 2012, “Dog Day Festival” at Centennial Park, West End and 25th Avenue North. You’re in for a treat with The Music City Mutt Strut, doggie arts & crafts, a kids zone, pet portraits, microchip clinics, training and agility clinics and Teddy’s wagon with adorable, adoptable, scrumptious pets! Admission $5, Children under 10: FREE.
If my list didn’t include an event near you, please go to Google and search for “dog rescue events summer 2012.” Do you know of any events not listed? If so, please add them in your comments.

Written for Petside

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Husband & Wife Grammy Nominated Country Music Singing Duo Team Up With Purina Dog Chow To Rescue Dogs and Iraq War Veterans

dorriolds — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 11:08:23 +0000

photo by Dorri Olds Shawna and Keifer Thompson are country music’s Grammy-nominated wife and husband team known as Thompson Square.

Shawna and Keifer Thompson are country music’s Grammy-nominated wife and husband team known as Thompson Square. This month they have teamed up with Nestlé Purina PetCare Company for a Purina Dog Chow Facebook fundraiser called “Dog Families Know.” The money raised will be donated to Patriot Rovers, an amazing organization committed to rescuing and training psychiatric service dogs to provide love 24-hours a day to U.S. veterans who lost limbs and/or suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The Inside story behind Thompson Square teaming up with Purina Dog Chow
Keifer Thompson told NBC’s Petside, “We recently got a new dog. Her name is Etta and she’s a 17-weeks old [Etta is a Snorkie, a Miniature Schnauzer and Yorkie mix]. We got excited and started tweeting pictures of Etta,” said Keifer. “Next thing we know she had her own Facebook page and she was just everywhere. Radio stations across the country picked up on her story and ran pictures on their websites and Facebook pages. Then we were approached by Purina Dog Chow to partner up with them for this program.”
What exactly is this Purina program?
From now until July 31st if you go to Facebook/DogChow and post a story or photo of your pet, Purina Dog Chow will donate $1 up to $25,000 to Patriot Rovers to help rescue both America’s dogs and veterans.
Thompson Square talks about using country music fame to help others
Shawna Thompson said, “Keifer and I really don’t feel like celebrities but with the little bit of celebrity we do have we like to help—especially with animals. We’re huge dog lovers and it’s so important to give back.”
Keifer seconded that, “It’s really cool to use any sort of celebrity that people have to help pets,” and it really means a lot to us because we’re huge, huge animal lovers and advocates. We’ve always been dog people. If you have the public’s eyes and attention, you’ve got a responsibility as a role model so even though we don’t feel like celebrities—not by a long shot—a lot of people think we are and they look up to us. We get their stories, emails, tweets and Facebook messages all the time about how our music has affected their life. We’re just doing what we do for a living because we’ve been blessed to be able to do but it’s weird how many people you can affect with a song.”
Learn more about this Purina Dog Chow program
View Thompson Square and their dog Etta
See even more of Etta the Snorkie

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Prince Lorenzo Borghese’s Royal Pet Club & Animal Aid USA Teamup For Free Spay/Neuter

dorriolds — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:37:03 +0000

Italian Prince Lorenzo Borghese fights for pets and happily ever afters. Although most famous for his stint on the TV series The Bachelor, Borghese’s heart is with his Royal Pet Club and the Royal Treatment Italian Pet Spaline of all-natural bath and body pet products—dog shampoos, conditioners and other pet grooming supplies—all made with organic ingredients.
He created the Royal Treatment line of products for his Black Lab Belle who’d suffered from severely dry skin. When he couldn’t find any shampoos to help Belle he decided to take matters into his own paws. By using his family’s cosmetic industry contacts Prince Borghese created his own formula for an organic pH-balanced shampoo just for dogs and launched it on the Home Shopping Network. What began as a one-product company has transformed into the highest quality pet products line in the world.

Prince Lorenzo Borghese

With the sole goal of helping you help your pets, Borghese created the Royal Pet Club—an exclusive club for peeps who consider pets family. Membership is free. Once you join, you can buy any of his products at substantially discounted prices, participate in monthly competitions and win prizes.
Royal Pet Club has now partnered with Animal Aid, a non-profit animal rights and rescue agency, to provide funding to animal shelters in low-income areas throughout the United States. A portion of Royal Pet Club’s proceeds will be funneled to these shelters and specifically allocated to free spay and neuterprograms for dogs.
March 2012 will mark the start of donations from Royal Pet Club to the Cause For Paws, with $2 from every new Royal Pet Club customer and 5 percent of profits from Royal Treatment pet care products to support a spay/neuter program through Animal Aid’s veterinary partners throughout the country.
“If people would spay and neuter their pets, this country would be a no-kill country,” said Borghese. “There would be no need to euthanize a dog because of over population. To euthanize man’s best friend in order to control the population is barbaric and must be stopped.”
Pre-approved veterinarians throughout the United States will be offering spay and neuter services at reduced rates to Animal Aid. Now, dog owners who cannot afford to spay/neuter their dog will be able to do so for free.
Royal Pet Club will transfer funds directly to Animal Aid and Animal Aid will allocate the funds to approved veterinarians. Animal Aid’s logo will begin appearing on all Royal Treatment grooming products as a way to bring awareness to the importance of spay and neuter programs throughout the United States.
To learn more about Royal Pet Club visit www.royalpetclub.com. To learn more about the Prince click here.

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Karen Biehl & Eli the Celebrity Chihuahua

dorriolds — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 13:09:01 +0000

Written for Petside.com

“Before Eli,” Doggie Moms actress Karen Biehl said, “I wasn’t sure what to do with my life.”

She had pursued singing opera but stopped when it wasn’t fun any longer. At that time she didn’t go out much. She’d never attended a charity event. “I wasn’t really planning to get a dog, but when I saw Eli’s photo on Craigslist next to a message that he needed a home, I knew we had to meet. My small studio apartment seemed too tiny for a dog but I realized it wasn’t too small for a Chihuahua.
Eli completely changed my life. Together we started going to events, getting involved in dog walks and raising money for causes. Before Eli I’d never even been to a charity event.”
Now Biehl and Eli the Celebrity Chihuahua are looking forward to spending 2012 helping animals in need. They’ve raised funds for charities since 2006. Together they’ve earned $12,000 for the American Cancer Society through participating in annual dog walks, been celebrity guests at the National Eating Disorder Association Walk, and participated in the AIDS Walk and Scleroderma Walk. In addition, Eli and Biehl are on many committees for animal fundraising events including Bideawee, Animal Care & Control of NYC and Last Chance for Animals.
Eli has modeled at Pet Fashion Week, strutted down runways, and appeared in magazine ads including Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. Biehl and Eli regularly hobnob with celebrities and write up reviews in their column, New York Celebrity Dog Examiner. Eli has his own IMDb page listing his stints in Doggie Moms and The Real Housewives of New York City.
“When I met Eli he was shy,” said Biehl. “He’d already had two owners and come from a puppy mill. My first six months with Eli were spent tending to his health issues. He had a tapeworm and needed knee surgery. He’s had all kinds of health issues—just one of them cost me $4000 in vet bills.”
Most recently, Eli had a bad reaction to a rabies shot which inspired Biehl’s new mission—to raise awareness about the rabies vaccine. According to research, the vaccines last up to 7 years, but by law dogs are required to get one every two or three years depending on the state. Eli developed a very rare condition called panniculitis with vasculitis—an autoimmune reaction to the rabies shot. He also suffered with pneumonia, and seizures.
“No dog should have to go through what Eli has,” Biehl said. “He’s come a long way and shows what is possible regardless of your past.”
Eli won his first contest, the Barking Beauty Pageant. His prize was a full spread in New York Dog magazine. Next he won New York Tails magazine’s “Best New York Tails Contest.” Then Eli shot to fame when he won the Milk-Bone “Make Your Dog Famous” contest which landed him on the Milk-BoneSmall Dog Biscuit box.
Eli won Grand Prize at a Macy’s Petacular, he was the Times Square Masquerade winner, “Most Smoochable Pooch” in the Kibbles ‘n Bits cover dog search, “Best in Show” at Animal Fair Magazine’s Canine Comedy, “New York Celebrity Dog” at the Pre-Westminster Fashion Show, and earned a “Red Carpet Performance” Award at the NSAL DogCatemy Awards. Their next event will be the Pre-Westminster Fashion Show on February 10th, 2012.
“On my own,” Biehl said, “I probably couldn’t even raise one hundred dollars but when people see Eli they want to donate. It’s amazing. He has opened up so many worlds for me. He taught me to go for my dreams.”

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A Handsome Eligible Prince

dorriolds — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:38:44 +0000

New Yorker Prince Lorenzo Borghese, 39, best known for starring in ABC’s The Bachelor, was born in Milan. His father is Prince Francesco Marco Luigi Costanzo Borghese of Italy and his mom, Amanda Leigh, is an American.
The Borghese family titles date back to the 1600s when Pope Paul V bestowed them. Prince Lorenzo’s ancestors owned land and fine art and the name Borghese is prominently displayed throughout Italy. In December 2010 Harper Collins published Prince Lorenzo’s first book, The Princess of Nowhere, a historical novel starring his relative Pauline Bonaparte Borghese, Napoleon’s favorite sister.
A cosmetics entrepreneur and the executive vice president of Multimedia Exposure, the Prince is also the founder and president of Royal Treatment Italian Pet Spa, a high-end bath, body and skin care line for pets.
We sat down for espresso at Bottega del Vino on the Upper East Side.
Dorri Olds: What can you tell me about your upcoming TV show The Prince of Pets?
Prince Lorenzo Borghese: The focus is pets, especially dogs, and human bonds. We’ll present controversial stories regarding animal welfare. One good example is Cheetah from the Tarzan movies. Is it bad to have animals in movies? Are they treated poorly? It’s an inspirational show that celebrates how the good within animals brings out the good in people.
Dorri Olds (DO): Who came up with the concept?
Prince Lorenzo Borghese (PLB): I did. I’ve been in this industry for 10 years.
DO: Industry?
PLB: Whenever there’s money involved I’d say it’s an industry. The American Humane Association—not to be confused with the Humane Society—was set up to protect animals and children in the entertainment industry.
DO: Did you have pets growing up?
PLB: [laughs] Yes, parakeets, lovebirds, gerbils, hamsters, mice, fish, turtles, newts, frogs, dogs, cats and Petey the guinea pig.
DO: Where did you grow up?
PLB: I was born in Italy but then we moved to France. My Dad got a job for Max Factor in Paris. Then we moved to the U.S. when he worked for Mennen. After that Dad started his own cosmetics business.
DO: If you’re royalty why do you all work?
PLB: We work and we give back. My sister, Ilaria Borghese, rescues greyhounds and horses. She’s involved with many charities like Mylestone Equine Rescue for abused horses. My brother, Scipione, and his wife are involved with 50 charities.
Here’s some family history: during WWII, my father’s grandfather lost an old Medici Italian castle in a card game then sold all of his property at the worst possible time. It was the end of the war and the Italian economy had tanked. Way before that, in 1902, the corrupt Italian government forced the Borgheses out. Napoleon confiscated much of their art and forced his sister’s husband to sell over three hundred artworks that now belong to the Louvre. The more I learned of Princess Pauline Bonaparte Borghese and her scandalous love affairs I knew I had to write a romance novel.
DO: Let’s shift to The Bachelor. I’ve always wondered, is it scripted?
PLB: They didn’t force me to do anything. Would I have acted differently without a camera? Yes. The camera is with you constantly and there’s always a mic above your head making you hyper aware you’re being watched by millions of people.
DO: Did you think you were going to meet a woman, fall in love and get married?
PLB: I went into it with an open mind but skeptical. I’m not afraid of getting married but I don’t want to make a mistake. I recommended my friends pick the women for me but ABC said no. I said I wouldn’t propose if they presented only ridiculous, catty women. I think casting did a decent job. They provided a balance of good girls, and some who were just good TV. Nobody would’ve watched if there was no drama. Let’s face it, people want to watch a train wreck.
DO: Were you in love with the woman you gave the last rose to?
PLB: Did I think I met my soulmate? No. Did I love her? I don’t remember if I really loved the girl I picked. She didn’t feel like the one and it was impossible to predict how we’d be when we returned to reality where there were no helicopters and exotic islands.
DO: Was the split mutual?
PLB: Yes. She was in Miami and I was in New York. The Enquirer showed photos of her at a beach with some guy. She said it wasn’t true. That’s when I said, “Don’t you think this is insane? You’re in Miami being followed by paparazzi and I’m here in New York.” I asked her if she really loved me. She said no and I said, “I don’t really love you.” I couldn’t go out with female platonic friends without it ending up on page six saying I cheated on my girlfriend. I thought, ‘This is just stupid.’
DO: It sounds like living in a fishbowl.
PLB: I call it under the bubble. On the show we were protected but back in real life we weren’t.
DO: Post-show did women throw themselves at you?
PLB: Yes. I knew if I went on the show it would open the door to meeting a real girlfriend. I knew it would make it much easier. I’m really shy. I don’t like approaching women.
DO: Really?
PLB: It’s funny what TV can do for you. Before the show, women weren’t asking me out. I’d had long-term girlfriends but I was single for seven months before the show.
DO: I read about your recent breakup. Did she ask you out?
PLB: [smiles] No, I met my last girlfriend on a plane back from Amsterdam. She’s Russian but had flown all that way just for a Dave Matthews concert. I was there for a reality show called Undercover Princes. Food on the flight was awful. This pretty Russian woman was sitting in front of me. I got up the nerve and wrote on a napkin “Was your food as bad as mine? Do you want to go grab a pizza when we get back to NY?” She wrote back, “Yes.” And we were together for a year and a half.
DO: Were you in love?
PLB: I thought we were really in love. It was the longest relationship I’d had in a long time. I had been with my high school girlfriend for nine years, then another girl for seven. But this was the first time I’d lived with someone.
DO: What caused the breakup?
PLB: We got in a fight over a piece of furniture and she left.
DO: She broke your heart over a sofa?
PLB: Yes. We’d just returned from Italy where we’d had a great time. I tried to understand what the heck happened but she was already gone and never explained. Now I have to think maybe it was for the best. She didn’t like controversy of any kind.
DO: We’ve got to get you hooked up. What is your ideal woman?
PLB: I don’t really have an ideal. I like the usual—smart, pretty, fun—and sensitive to others’ feelings. She should love animals and make me feel loved. I’m not typically a romantic guy but when my Russian girlfriend and I celebrated our anniversary I wrote on an airplane napkin and invited her out to repeat our first date. Then I took her to see Dave Matthews.
DO: That is romantic. Let’s talk about your other big love, Belle the Labrador Retriever.
PLB: I got her for my 21^st birthday. My nine-year girlfriend asked me if I wanted to go to Great Adventure but I said I wanted a female black lab. The week of my birthday my girlfriend called and said her sister was out walking and saw a litter of black labs on the street. Belle was the runt of the litter and the last one left.
DO: Do you believe in fate?
PLB: I think it was a Godlike intervention. I mean, what are the odds of that? On the same week that I told my girlfriend I wanted a black lab, Belle suddenly appeared in this weird quirky way. She came over with her little tail wagging and hopped up and down then sat with her legs crossed like a southern belle.
DO: Belle inspired your pet shampoo line, correct?
PLB: Yes, when she was five her dandruff was so bad it looked like she’d been snowed on. When I bathed her it got worse. The vet said to bathe her once every two months.
DO: My dog would stink if I waited that long.
PLB: Right. So I went on a mission to fix the problem. Research proved my theory that there was something in dog shampoos creating the problem. It was the pH levels, which measure acidity. Dogs’ skin is alkaline. In humans it’s acidic. Traditional pet shampoos are just slightly altered human shampoos. Dog shampoos also contain harsh foaming agents called surfactants that create dry skin because they scrub out natural oils. When these oils are removed, water escapes and the skin becomes very dry. I decided to create a shampoo with a much lower pH, balanced for dogs’ skin, using only organic ingredients and I added moisturizers. In 2003 the Home Shopping Network bought my shampoo line and I’m the television spokesperson. It’s the only pet line that has been around for nine consecutive years on HSN. It’s a good business and I enjoy it. I also own a business with my brother called Multimedia Exposure. We find products for TV.
DO: Can you explain?
PLB: We’re an agency with dozens of clients. We find products for television and get a commission. We own a home fragrance line my sister-in-law created called Casa di Francesca and my mom’s jewelry line, “Princess Amanda.”
DO: What are some of your upcoming animal charity events?
PLB: I’m a celebrity judge for the Hero Dog Awards. It airs on November 11, Veterans Day, on the Hallmark channel. Judges picked the best therapy dogs. It was filmed by the American Humane Association and presented by Cesar^®dog food. Betty White hosted and Whoopi Goldberg MC’d the kickoff dinner.
DO: What’s next?
PLB: I’ve already done most of what I wanted to. I wanted to go to business school, so I earned an MBA from Fordham. I dreamed of running the New York Marathon, so I did it. I wanted a scuba license so I got one, then a pilot’s license. I wanted a motorcycle so I got one.
DO: Wow, it sounds like you never stop.
PLB: I get bored easily. I’m active and love skiing, scuba diving, zip lining. I’ve even gone skydiving.
DO: Have you ever bungee jumped? My Dad did that for the first time at age 86.
PLB: [smiles] Not into bungee jumping, it looks painful. My main goal now is for my TV show to be successful and raise a lot of money to help animals. My other goal is to get married and have a family. Then maybe when I’m 86, I’ll go bungee jumping. Who knows?

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Help Us Help Them. Chase is Giving Away $3M to Small Charities. Just 2 Easy Clicks on Facebook. And it’s FREE!

dorriolds — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:50:15 +0000

My favorite charity is Little Baby Face Foundation. Top New York City plastic surgeons provide free medical help and LBFF covers transportation and medical costs. They transform the lives of children who would be unmercifully bullied in school simply because of the way they were born. These free surgeries change their lives forever. I am so happy to be part of this organization. Will you please Click and Vote before November 22nd? We need all the help we can get. Please spread the word. Thank you, thank you!!

The post Help Us Help Them. Chase is Giving Away $3M to Small Charities. Just 2 Easy Clicks on Facebook. And it’s FREE! appeared first on Award-Winning Writer and Graphic Designer.