NKLA launch party: We have liftoff!

No Kill Los Angeles (NKLA) was officially launched at the House of Blues Tuesday night with a great event hosted by two-time Oscar winner Hilary Swank.

Live Nation donated the venue for the evening, which brought together representatives of the 44 coalition organizations, along with other stakeholders and animal lovers from across the city. The launch event marked the public announcement of our collective commitment to a new day for Los Angeles city shelter animals and the unveiling of a powerful media campaign designed to engage the entire community in our cause.

Alyssa Milano, Kevin Nealon, Lisa Edelstein, Moby, Kristin Bauer, Frances Fisher, Maggie Lawson and other famous faces recorded video clips for use as future PSAs and joined the celebration.

Tuesday night, as the second floor swung open into the balcony configuration, pre-placed banners of the NKLA outdoor ad campaign rolled down from the rails as the theater-sized screen descended from the ceiling and the NKLA manifesto video played to thunderous applause. Then Hilary Swank and Jewel, one of the poster dogs for the campaign, took the stage to more applause, more excitement, more energy.

Energy, lots of it, is the best way to describe the evening. I had the privilege of serving as emcee, owing to my long tenure in Los Angeles on behalf of the animals and my work with shelters and rescues in the area. I took the gathered company through the evolution of NKLA, the coalition, and the pro bono media campaign designed by Let There Be Dragons.

L.A. Animal Services general manager Brenda Barnette and the Steering Committee — leaders of Stray Cat Alliance, Kitten Rescue, Karma Rescue, Downtown Dog Rescue, Found Animals Foundation, FixNation and Best Friends — took the stage for a champagne toast led by CEO Gregory Castle to the animals, to no-kill, and to NKLA, followed by the high-energy music of indie rockers Run, Run, Run.

While the launch was the culmination of a lot of planning and preparation — including the design and implementation of the NKLA.org website and an amazing ad campaign — the night really marked the beginning of a full-throttle drive to turn Los Angeles into a no-kill city.

To follow the campaign, please visit nkla.org and like our Facebook page.

Exciting times for the animals in Los Angeles!

P.S. Check out the video of the festivities.