The hottest doggie ticket last night, as it is every year, was Dachshund doyenne Iris Love's pre-Westminster bash at Tavern on the Green. (Who can top fire-hydrant ice carvings?)
But instead of feting those stubby-legged hounds, I was at the annual Dog Writers Association of America dinner at the recently renamed Affinia. (Formerly the Southgate, and luxer than the Pennsylvania down the block, it's the popular among judges and other dog-world royalty.)
Among the assembled scribes and shutterbugs, the biggest names were William Wegman, who has diversified from photographs of his cross-dressing Weimeraners to launch an eponymous fabric line, and William F. Stifel, former AKC president and author of "The Dog Show: 125 Years of Westminster.
As has become ritual, the awards presentation was interminable, with 71 categories and awards to go through before the buffet rolled out. Among them: a special award for "the best humorous feature story written from the perspective of a dog." As in: Pocket that dinner roll for me, won't you, chump?
