Singer Supports Clean Up of Supply Chain Abuse of Canine Innocents Bash at Friars Features Joe Franklin Surrounded by Admirers CD Turns Out To Be Distinguished Professional Accomplishment, Highly Recommended All too often people in commerce seem blind to higher values, such as morals and social justice, and those in government seem powerless to stop them, perhaps because a business lobby is too influential with politicians who might otherwise enact laws to keep bad behavior in check. A lively party at the Friars' Club last night (Wed Oct 2 2013) drew attention to one grotesque example of this, the rampant abuse of dogs by many low life breeders of the darling little puppies sold at pet stores. As a lover of dogs of all kinds for their spontaneity and warmth we made sure to attend and talk to the hostess Dahna Bender, who was offering food and drink to as many friends and connections as she could attract, as well as a CD entitled Christmas: Giving of the Heart. The CD, a year in the making, proved to be no vanity production but an exceptionally fine, professional effort that deserves a place in everyone's Christmas stocking, to be played in any season. Dahna, a buxom beauty in a red costume which matched her obviously cheerful and generous nature, explained how she and her husband, Vincent, a trusted eye surgeon, had obtained their own dog from a reputable breeder, whose mother bitch was part of the owner's household But driving past a pet store, they had encountered demonstrators who had alerted them to the hidden underbelly of dog breeding. National Dog Mill Rescue is run by Theresa Strader of Ohio, whose first encounter with the results of relentless breeding on Lily, a greyhound for sale at auction whose lower jaw had rotted away from neglect, was life changing. Later she wrote: "I found myself leaning against the backside of an old barn where I slowly sunk to the ground in tears." A $2000 puppy bought in a pet store is bought for say $500 from a distributor, who paid probably paid as little as $100 to a couple with missing teeth living in a trailer with a dirty shed in which the unfortunate bitch is housed purely for the purpose of breeding. One case of mistreatment she had seen with horror was a dog suspended from a harness to breed and with no run and filthy straw as bedding. Though activists in California had persuaded some municipalities to enact alleviating regulations, the bulk of these operations through to US were under the rule of the Department of Agriculture, which was understaffed and unable to enforce its regulations. She and her husband had little appetite for political agitation, though; his good works were concentrated on providing $10,000 hurricane resistant housing units for victims of Katrina and other disasters of global warming. All the funds from the CD will go to National Mill Dog Rescue (NMDR) an outfit headquartered in Ohio or some mid American state too far for anyone from the understaffed outfit to attend. But despite the grim situation the affair was aimed at righting the party atmosphere was upbeat, as partygoers all seemed to share the sanguine sociability of the hosting couple. The bonhomie was elevated by the assiduous service of the Club staff who were indefatigable in offering small but delectable snacks from mashed potato circles the size of a finger nail topped with cream to small round crabcakes almost permanently at one's elbow, all under the management of a delightful individual who provided plentiful supplies of Irish Cream and ice to those who wished to avoid the range of hard stuff and wine available. The arrival of Joe Franklin was the high point of the event, however, when the celebrated talk show host arrived with his long time producer Cleveland Thomas, who happens to be a great traditionalist as he told us and in seventh heaven at the dark wood interiors of the ancient clubhouse, it walls lined with framed photographs of its illustrious members past and present. Joe was immediately surrounded by guests including many of the uniformly pretty and well dressed women present and after listening to them he sat down at a table with the hostess' mother, with whom he seemed to have a real connection. He was taken with her remark "You don't have to go looking for life, it comes at you from all directions!" True to form and place the conversation was enlivened by wisecracks along the lines of (when her husband said Dahna "was the force behind me) "Behind every man is a woman and behind that woman is a wife!" and "I made a killing in the stock market - I shot my broker!