Angela Birdman Walks in Style for the Animals with Saks

A few short years ago, wife of developer Louis Birdman and mother of two, Angela Birdman, suddenly found herself an empty-nester. With a little extra time on her hands, she did something she’d wanted to do for a long time—dedicate all her time and energy to philanthropy. A few short years later, her dance card is very, very full. Birdman is a benefactor at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, “heavily involved” in the National YoungArts Foundation and the Humane Society, for which she raised a record funds with her “Wolfpack” team during “Walk for the Animals.”

To raise even more funds for her four-legged friends, she started a shopping event with Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour titled “Walk in Style for the Animals” in 2015. The in-store event takes place November 10 and gives back 10% of shoe sales to the Humane Society of Greater Miami, a no-kill shelter that finds homes for over 3,000 dogs and cats a year and offers low-cost vet clinics. This year, they’ve partnered with hot new Italian shoe brand Aquazzura. The brand’s founder and designer, Colombian-born Edgardo Osorio, will be flying in to meet customers, sketch designs and sign shoes.

HL: Tell me about the event.

AB: Last year we raised $10,000 for the Humane Society. This year, I hope to raise even more and I’m excited to be working with Dianna      Corpus, the store’s new vice president and general manager. It is a cocktail party, which I like because there are so many seated events during the year. It’s nice to just hang out, have a drink, buy a fabulous pair of Aquazzura shoes and help save an animal’s life. It’s a win-win.

HL: How did this event come about?

AB:  It’s an offshoot of the Humane Society’s Walk for the Animals event. I walk in it every year with my Siberian huskies. We named the team The Wolfpack and it just sort of stuck. It’s a great group and we actually placed first, raising the most money.

HL: You’re so busy with charity events and planning committees. How do you keep it all straight? 

AB: Every morning I walk three miles with my pups as soon as I wake up.  I walk, think and make my mental to-do list. I actually do my best thinking and come up with some of my greatest ideas while walking my dogs!

HL: Where did you get your dogs?

AB: Both of my Siberians are rescues, and not a single morning walk goes by without someone saying how beautiful they are and being baffled when I tell them they are from the Humane Society.  So many people buy pet store dogs without researching the breed, and when they become too big or bothersome, drop them at shelters. There is never a need to purchase a dog when you can save a life!  And adopting a dog from HSGM actually saves two lives—that of the lucky pup coming home with you and the lucky one who gets to take his spot while waiting for his forever home.

HL: How does your husband feel about your own “pack of wolves”?

AB: Louis is a very big animal lover. In fact, the Humane Society is one of the causes we both truly embrace. It’s our shared philanthropic venture.