March 28, 2008

LOS ANGELES -- The fashion trade is known for its use of furs and leather -- a fact that angers many animal lovers. But designer Ashley Paige is working to bring animals into the industry in a completely different way.

Paige was one of the top designers to show her collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Los Angeles last week.

The designer is famous for her knitted bikinis and sending gorgeous models down the runway -- rescued dogs in tow.

“The one thing about being in fashion is that you can be famous in fashion, you are interviewing me right and I can talk about animals, so in my heart I know that the bigger my company grows, the more I can give back to the animals and that’s my mission,” said Paige.

“Closing” a fashion show is a huge honor, which usually goes to the hottest new model. But when Paige is running the show, the honor belongs to the rescue dog.

“Today the star is Georgie, and he is a three-legged Pit bull from South Central that I rescued, and his leg was all mangled and messed up,” said Paige. “He had been severely injured … And we raised the money and had his leg amputated and he’s the happiest fastest three-legged dog you’ll ever meet in your life.”

Last week’s event was Georgie’s debut on the runway.

He shared the catwalk -- or dogwalk -- with models such as Sarah Larson, actor George Clooney’s girlfriend. He closed the show to huge applause.

The guests left with gift bags that had model cards and contact information for the three-legged dog.

But Georgie isn’t the first animal to be saved by the grave of Ashley Paige.

“I have rescued 500 dogs since I started four years ago,” she explained. “I pull them before they euthanize them at the pound.”

Paige does this all through her non-profit rescue organization RuffHouZen. And she also shows the dogs at her bikini boutique.

Every Sunday, she turns her boutique into a pet adoption center. Visitors can get a cute bikini or an orphaned pet -- that will be a part their homes longer than the season’s hottest fashions hanging in their closets.

On a good Sunday, Paige finds homes for up to five pets, but even if she only adopts one, she said, it’s worth it.

To find out more about Paige’s adoption site, go to ruffhouzen.org

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Matt Van Hoven, Pet Pulse reporter, contributed to this article.