North Shore Animal League America (NSALA) celebrated its annual red carpet gala on Friday night at New York's Pierre Hotel, and celebrities were out to "get their rescue on" and raise money for a new cage-free cat living space, spearheaded by actress, model and animal rights activist Beth Ostrosky Stern. Host Lisa Lampanelli kept the evening's energy high (but was ultimately upstaged by her adorable dog, Parker), Amy Schumer and Wilson Phillips performed, and there were appearances by Rachael Ray, "Empire's" Raquel Castro and many more.

And then there were puppies and kittens!

Let's face it, the true shining stars were the adoptable cats and dogs at the celebrity gala, but Headlines and Global News kept its focus on the red carpet.

Ostrosky Stern is the force behind the North Shore Animal League's expansion – a 14,000-square-foot, cage-free living environment for the cats of NSALA.

"Bianca's Furry Friends, yes, that's going to break ground right after the new year," Ostrosky Stern told HNGN. "And we're very excited for that expansion for the cage-free habitat that will free up the entire downstairs for adult and puppy mill rescues."

Bianca was the Sterns' 9-and-a-half-year-old bulldog who passed away in 2012.

Ostrosky Stern has fostered more than 200 cats for North Shore, and her husband, media personality Howard Stern, is right there beside her. "He's my partner in all my fostering and all my rescue work, and I'm very lucky to have someone so supportive and as actually hands-on as he is," Ostrosky Stern said.

How hands-on? The way the former "America's Got Talent" judge tells it, he names all the cats and even scoops litter boxes.

Yes, the "King of All Media" scoops poop.

"We just handed off the last foster to her forever home yesterday, so right now, I have my six resident cats, but I'll be travelling to pick up a mama and her four babies next week," Ostrosky Stern said.

Of the six "resident cats," one is a bit more well-known than the rest thanks to Ostrosky Stern, who immortalized one called Yoda in a children's book series that started in 2014 with the release of "Yoda: The Story of a Cat and His Kittens." HNGN recommended it at the time as part of its weekly gift guide.

"His second book is coming out Dec. 1 – 'Yoda Gets a Buddy' – about one of my fosters this summer, who sadly had to have his eyes removed," the sexy cat lady told us while petting the adoptable puppy in her arms. "Buddy and Yoda became partners in the foster room, parenting the foster babies, and it's a very beautiful story with a lesson to be learned."

Can we expect anything from Apple, Walter (who favors the man of the house), Leon Bear, Charlie Bear and Bella? "Sure! Let's get Bianca's Furry Friends up and running and we'll start naming everything else after them," Ostrosky Stern said with a laugh.

You can see pictures of the foster cats and kittens on Ostrosky Stern's Instagram account.

To see what celebrity chef Rachael Ray had to say about breed discrimination, click here. For our red carpet chat with the sassy Lisa Lampanelli, click here.