Neil Patrick Harris hosts gala raising $2 million for animal welfare causes

On a night of celebrity appearances, music and plant-based fine dining, animal welfare advocates gathered in New York City to support efforts to create a more compassionate world. Neil Patrick Harris hosted the annual To the Rescue! gala for Humane World for Animals, drawing in entertainment personalities, philanthropists and supporters to raise over $2 million for the organisation's work to protect animals and challenge cruelty across industries.A sparkling night for animal welfareAccording to online media reports, the event featured a special musical performance by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Vanessa Carlton, best known for her worldwide hit, “A Thousand Miles,” noted Humane World for Animals. Amy Sedaris, actress, author, and producer, longtime supporter of the gala and passionate rabbit advocate, was also in attendance for the evening.Supermodel Christie Brinkley was among the celebrities at the gathering. She presented the Corporate Conscience Award to Emulate, Inc. for its work developing technologies that can reduce reliance on animal testing, the online report adds.The company is involved in the development of human-relevant, animal-free research methods to achieve their scientific validation and acceptance in regulatory systems. Its work is part of a larger movement to change biomedical research with alternatives that may better mirror human biology, explains the Humane World for Animals website report.The gala was co-chaired by Georgina Bloomberg, Caren Fleit and Suzy Welch, as well…