Paw-ty in the Park

Amalfi Hosts Event at Palisades Recreation Center, Raising Awareness for Wags & Walks

By LILY TINOCO | Reporter

Amalfi Estates recently collaborated with nonprofit organization Wags & Walks to welcome paw-ty animals to Palisades Recreation Center to support the rescue.

The goal of the Park Paw-ty in May was to bring the community together, highlight the work Wags & Walks is doing, and promote Amalfi and Wags & Walks’ presence in the Palisades.

Amalfi’s Victoria Velazquez said Wags & Walks is one of Amalfi’s six charity partners. Wags & Walks is a nonprofit organization, featuring a community of dog lovers dedicated to “working to reduce euthanasia in local shelters and increase awareness of rescue dogs being wonderful pets,” according to its website.

“We always wanted to do anything we could to get Wags more involved in the Palisades, and we always look for fun things to do for our clients,” Velazquez shared with the Palisadian-Post.

She said dogs were also invited to enjoy the “fun summer day.”

The paw-ty featured an In-N-Out truck serving burgers in the park, puppies to play and take photos with, bocce ball, and additional activities.

“The Park Paw-ty event was a hit,” Founder and CEO of Wags & Walks Lesley Brog said. “We had 450 people come to participate in pet- and kid-friendly fun, meet adoptable Wags & Walks pups, and learn about getting involved in the rescue. We are eternally grateful to Anthony Marguleas and his team at Amalfi Estates for putting on such a successful event. We were able to get 49 people interested in adopting or fostering.”

Founder of Amalfi Estates Anthony Marguleas said the team started its partnership with the organization about a year and a half ago.

“Since then, we have been fortunate to have given $144,000, which has helped rescue and care for 288 dogs,” he shared. “We plan on doing this Park Paw-ty as an annual Palisades event to help introduce the Palisades community to this amazing charity that Lesley has created.”

Amalfi previously helped sponsor Wags & Walks’ annual fundraiser and 10-year anniversary in November 2021. Marguleas said his team donated approximately $100,000 to the charity then.

“Amalfi Estates is committed to building our communities in our backyard and [around] the world,” according to a statement. “After many years of donating hundreds of thousands of dollars, Amalfi Estates launched a strategic philanthropy program in 2016, which focuses on six core areas: homelessness, health, animals, community, children and the environment.

“By focusing on six issue areas, Amalfi Estates is able to better develop relationships with nonprofits that serve these causes and therefore create meaningful impact for those in need.”