Out celebrity photographer and TV personality Mike Ruiz will be in town to host the 20th Annual Fur Ball, an event to benefit Morris Animal Refuge, the nation’s first animal shelter.
Ruiz is in demand for his skills both behind and in front of the camera, as he has appeared on numerous television shows. But he said he also found himself making time for animal-rights causes once a rescue entered his life.
“It all started with my rescue Oliver,” Ruiz said. “I adopted a sweet pit bull four years ago. My photography agent has been doing animal rescue for years and she was always asking me to participate in events and I just never seemed to find the time. But the reality was I never really had a profound connection with an animal until I found Oliver. Suddenly I became aware of the plight of animals everywhere. I started advocating on behalf of pit bulls specifically, then I started advocating for various animal rescues by donating art to events. As I started doing that, people started sending me, ‘Can you post this about this dog?’ I was reposting a lot of stuff. Then I just became hyper-aware of the plight of animals that are being discarded and abused and neglected. I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing about it, so I do as much as I can.”
Ruiz has worked on photo shoots for PETA, which he said were especially impactful.
“They showed me all the video of how they infiltrated cattle and chicken farms so I’m seconds away from being vegan and I stopped eating dairy. I don’t wear leather, fur or wool. I’m very in tune with animals and their rights. I feel like it’s my duty to do everything I can to spare any living thing any physical neglect or abuse.”
Ruiz has also lent his photography talents to create calendars like “Hunks & Hounds” and “Pecs & Pups,” featuring shirtless men with adoptable animals, to benefit animal-rescue organizations.
“It’s always a good time,” Ruiz said about the calendar shoots. “I love being around dogs and it’s great to just have a room full of puppies. It’s even more wonderful to be in a room full of hot guys holding puppies. It’s a win-win-win-win situation. It’s for a cool cause and everybody is donating their time, so it’s always a lot of fun.”
Ruiz has worked with music stars like Kelly Clarkson, Vanessa Williams and Kelly Rowland and had his photography appear in such magazines as Vanity Fair and Vogue. He has also appeared on reality shows like “America’s Next Top Model” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
“I wasn’t always [comfortable in front of the camera] but I certainly have been for the last several years just out of necessity,” he said. “It was do or die for a lot of the on-air stuff that I was doing. So yes, I’m very comfortable in front of the camera and speaking publicly and doing my dog and pony show.”
As for what people will see when he hosts the Fur Ball, you’ll just have to show up to find out.
“I’ll throw a little bit of my flair into the mix,” he said. “I’m pretty off the cuff when I’m hosting an event or speaking, so I guess we’ll see how conservative the crowd is. It might get a little raunchy but it will be a good time no matter what.”
Morris Animal Refuge presents the 20th Annual Fur Ball 8 p.m.-midnight April 1 at the Independence Seaport Museum, 211 S. Columbus Blvd. For more information, visit phillyfurball.com or mikeruiz.com.