Signature Summer Event Raises Funds and Awareness for Chicago’s Homeless Animals
July 25, 2025 (CHICAGO) – Dressed in Hawaiian shirts, floral sundresses and leis – and that’s just the canine guests – PAWS Chicago’s 22nd Annual Beach Party brought hundreds of pet lovers to Offshore Rooftop at Navy Pier on Thursday, July 17 to raise lifesaving funds for homeless pets. The event, which grossed over $400,000, will help the city’s largest No Kill humane organization continue its mission to end the needless euthanasia of cats and dogs and provide critical care for homeless and at-risk pets.
The Beach Party was emceed by WGN Radio’s Lisa Dent and FOX 32 Chicago’s Jake Hamilton, and co-chaired by Janet Mandell and Heather Zimmerman. Guests enjoyed a lively evening of cocktails, dinner, dancing, and a spirited live auction—plus portraits by a pet artist, an aura photo booth, and ice cream treats for both people and pups, courtesy of Ida’s Artisan Ice Cream and Koko’s Kitchen. Lucky pups in attendance indulged in a doggie buffet, sponsored by Kismet. Some even danced the night away with their people on the Offshore rooftop.
Live auction highlights included luxury trips to Montana and Hawaii and an exclusive Smashing Pumpkins experience donated by Billy Corgan and Chloé Mendel, featuring VIP tickets to the Lyric Opera concert, a signed poster, and a rare bottle of FEW Spirits x Smashing Pumpkins bourbon. The winner also received a styling session from Beach Party Co-Chair Janet Mandell and a custom dinner jacket from Lake Forest Custom Clothiers.
At this year’s Beach Party, PAWS honored two remarkable individuals with its Community Engagement Award for their efforts to raise awareness and support for homeless pets. Carl Allegretti was recognized for making his 70th marathon count by rallying his network to break the Chicago Marathon’s all-time charity fundraising record, setting a new high for TEAM PAWS. Dan “Big Cat” Katz, of Barstool Sports and co-host of the Pardon My Take podcast, was also recognized for using his national platform to help homeless pets. A longtime PAWS supporter who adopted his dog Stella from the shelter, Dan went on to found Stella Blue Coffee in her honor—donating proceeds to PAWS Chicago and helping spread the No Kill mission to a wide and passionate audience.
Several homeless dogs were available for adoption at the event, including Ritz, an 8-year-old Shih Tzu mix who came to PAWS after being found inside a plastic container and brought to Chicago Animal Care & Control. Another crowd favorite was Manny, a four-month-old Chihuahua mix rescued from a hoarding situation, who found a loving home that evening with PAWS Chicago Board Member Melissa Canning.
This annual event raises vital funds to support PAWS Chicago’s lifesaving programs, including its 360@CACC initiative to assist Chicago Animal Care & Control, where intake numbers are surging; the Lurie Clinic—Chicago’s only high-volume spay/neuter provider; and the Kocourek Medical Center, one of the most advanced hospitals for homeless pets in the country.
About PAWS Chicago
PAWS Chicago is one of the largest comprehensive No Kill animal welfare organizations in the nation, building programs to end the killing of homeless pets. More than 24,000 homeless and at-risk cats and dogs pass through PAWS Chicago’s Medical Center each year. PAWS is known for healing and rehabilitating around 4,500 sick, injured, and homeless cats and dogs annually, and finding them loving families through its adoption program. PAWS Chicago also operates the city’s only high-volume spay/neuter clinic, providing more than 19,000 low-or no-cost spay/neuter surgeries each year, reducing pet overpopulation at its source. Since its founding in 1997, when more than 42,000 pets were killed in Chicago, PAWS Chicago has led the reduction in homeless pet euthanasia in Chicago by 89%. PAWS Chicago has earned the highest 4-star ranking by Charity Navigator, the nation’s largest independent evaluator, since 2003. For more information, visit www.pawschicago.org and follow PAWS Chicago on Facebook, X, and Instagram.