Glitter, Glamour, Fur and Fun! Inside CAP’s 50th Anniversary Bash

Daniel Ortiz and Jacob Power
Glitter, Glamour, Fur and Fun! Inside CAP’s 50th Anniversary Bash

Danielle and Derek Gillespie with Claire

MORE THAN 600 party animals gathered at the Royal Sonesta to celebrate 50 years of Citizens for Animal Protection (CAP).


The ballroom was decked out with glittery, glamorous floral arrangements and swaths of shiny fabric, in addition to several IG-worthy photo backdrops. Violinist Radu John warmed up the crowd with electrifying tunes played on a light-up violin, and JD Entertainment characters — like a Champagne-toting cat — roamed the room.

The main event was, as always, a fur-tastic fashion show, emceed by animal-loving television personality Frank Billingsley. Gala honorees strutted their stuff alongside their pets, and supporters Jody Merritt and Steve Spencer’s cat, Yuli, was named the Celebrity Pet of the Year. Other honorees included JD Adamson with Dolly; Deborah and Ernesto Bautista with Asher and Penelope; Rose Chen and David Webster with Muffin; Cortney Cole-Hall with Leo and Elia; Michael Gabbanelli with Daisy; Danielle and Derek Gillespie with Claire; Casey and Ryan Mitchell with Gabby Win; and Sonia Soto and Jeff Hoffman with Layla.

West Houston Subaru raffled off a 2023 Crosstek, which revved up the evening’s proceeds. The till currently stands at $725,000, with more donations rolling in.


Sterling Woerner and Kathryn Bonesteel

Yaritza and Alexander Scott

Austin and Marian Cornelius

Steve Spencer and Jody Merritt with Yuli

Bill Baldwin, Hallie Vanderhider and Fady Armanious

Cassidy Harriman and Dinah Linn

Shelby Kibodeaux and Bruce Padilla

JD Entertainment

Cindy Peoples and Mary Kenner

Rosemary McDonald and Jacqueline Swilling

Courtney Cole-Hall with Leo

Daryl and Amy Dichoso

Richard Ray, Tamara Bonar and Anthony Dowd

Michael and Ivanne Corsi

Deborah and Ernesto Bautista with Asher

Mica Piro and Anna Kaplan

Melanie Cizik, Alex Gonzalez and Reilly Cizik

Edna Meyer-Nelson and Julie Brookshire

Frank Billingsley and Kevin Gillard

Tony and Frances Buzbee

Parties
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How did you get to where you are today? The present moment is a combined history of my family, my time as an athlete, my passion for learning, and my desire to see the world be better. I grew up as a successful springboard and platform diver, however, an injury caused me to seek alternative treatments to heal my body. In that process, I discovered the power of yoga, exercise, meditation, mindset, and nutrition. This holistic approach eventually led me to open a Pilates and cycling studio called DEFINE body & mind. I opened studios around the nation, and after selling most of my business between 2017-2019, I was ready to explore how I could make an even greater impact on the wellbeing of our community. In 2023, I started actively working on a brand new multi-family/apartment concept called, Define Living. The idea focused on offering health and wellness services within a beautiful apartment setting to increase the wellbeing of our residents. Having a strong sense of community is the number one factor in living a happy life, so why not build a community where daily fitness, cooking classes, and social connection are the norm? We opened Define Living in March of 2024, and we couldn’t be happier with how things are being received. We are already looking at building more concepts like this in the Houston area and beyond.

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