The Tailwaggers store, which first opened its doors back in 2003 in Hollywood, has become a cornerstone of the Los Angeles doggy community, with a second store in West Hollywood. Spearheaded by its CEO Todd Warner, pictured here with his dogs Buddy and Henry, the stores do a top job of providing the community with healthy, natural pet care products that are consistent with a holistic approach to pet health.

The Tailwaggers name itself has a fine pedigree, dating back to the Tail-waggers club created in 1915 in England. Bette Davis put the organization on the map in the US when she was elected as President of Southern California’s branch in 1929. Her dedication to animal welfare was a powerful force in raising awareness in Hollywood. In 1938, Life magazine covered one of her fund raising events, which enlisted the likes of Howard Hughes as a generous donor and Walt Disney, who personally designed the place cards.

Todd Warner (note that the initials T and W align beautifully with the name of his store), is building on that legacy by carrying the baton with The Tailwaggers Foundation which serves as a financial resource for non-profit animal rescue groups who are struggling to cover the cost of medical care for sick and injured animals. Recognizing that healthy dogs and cats stand the best chance for finding a loving home, his donations directly facilitate the adoption process and improve animal welfare in general.

His heartfelt devotion to his four legged friends, necessary for the protection and care of animals without voices, culminates in the Waggy Awards on March 19. Bringing together the great and the good of the animal welfare community, Warner likes to think of these awards as 'our furry little Oscars'. Crusaders, activists and pioneers dedicated to the protection of animals will collect awards for their service alongside Oscar™-nominated actress and well-known animal activist Linda Blair as well as Tippi Hedren and Moby. The confluence of Hollywood, community spirit and animal welfare harks (or should that be barks?) back to those early days when Bette was fighting on behalf of humanity's most devoted companion.