Ian Somerhalder and his wife Nikki Reed may have their fair share of rumors but, recently, the newlyweds have been announced as this year's Celebrity Grand Monarchs of Mandeville's "Mardi Paws."
"Mardi Paws" is an annual pooch parade wherein dog owners get the chance to doll-up their pets.
According to Nola, the usual foot-and-paw parade along the Mandeville Lakefront will occur a few days after the official Mardi Gras season closes. This year, the parade of pooches will be on Feb. 14.
Ian Somerhalder and his wife Nikki Reed are self-professed animal lovers. The "Vampire Diaries" actor is reported to have an active involvement with the north shore community where he grew up.
Denise Gutnisky of Mardi Paws said that in the near future, she might "pass the baton" to Somerhalder through the Ian Somerhalder Foundation (ISF), which is also the main beneficiary of the upcoming event.
"The hope is to make it a permanent partnership to support his (Somerhalder's) vision of his sanctuary on the north shore," said Gutnisky.
In 2014, Somerhalder's foundation purchased 100 acres of land near the Lacombe-Mandeville border. Gutnisky said that Somerhalder plans to "preserve about 70 acres while the remaining 30 acres would be used to support creature population, youth and other community needs," as reported by Fashion & Style.
Gutnisky also sees the possibility of Mardi Paws being passed on to Somerhalder because the actor's foundation supports the same cause as Mardi Paws.
Additionally, the parade has attracted different sponsors since 1995. The theme for this year's parade will be "Mardi Gras 2016: Love is in the Hair."
Ian Somerhalder and his wife Nikki Reed also took to Instagram to post a photo of them holding puppies.
A photo posted by iansomerhalder (@iansomerhalder) on Jan 2, 2016 at 6:08pm PST
Amidst rumors of Somerhalder leaving "The Vampire Diaries," his character Damon Salvatore will still be seen on the series' midseason premiere on Jan. 29.
Rumors of Ian Somerhalder asking his wife Nikki Reed to start a family soon are still brewing but the couple hasn't released a statement regarding the issue.
