Mardi Paws parade gets four paws up

Published on Wednesday, March 4, 2009 10:47 AM CST

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

It was a dog day afternoon Sunday with the Mandeville lakefront going to the dogs. Every breed imaginable from toy poodles and Maltese to Great Danes and greyhounds were on hand to watch and participate in the parade along Lakeshore Drive.

Co-captains of the parade were Cruella De Vil and her henchman, also known as Antonija and Antoni Cutura, complete with Dalmatian coat and bone-encrusted lapel.

Mandeville Police Officer Anton Schwartz marveled at the crowd. “I love this parade,” he said. “I’ve never had to arrest a drunk dog after this parade. They are all well-behaved.”

(Use arrows above to view more photos)

Grand Marshall Kriss Fairbairn and her 6-year-old Maltese, Rocket, led the parade. Other celebrity guests included the Saints mascot, Gumbo. The giant Saint Bernard excitedly greeted the crowd and showed off his training techniques with one-pawed push-ups along the parade route. Hugo, the New Orleans’ Hornet, was also on hand greeting the crowd.

Spectators and krewe members alike were costumed, including some of their human families. Vendors, many of whom participated and sponsored the parade, were also prepared for the occasion with matching theme costumes with their dogs.

Floats and participants ranged from the Flintbones to I Love Lucy and ER Vet.

At the reviewing stand, white-wigged judges, assisted by two Welsh Corgis, judged the passing members of the parade for ceramic poop awards which will be awarded next week. For their humans, prizes included five Wii video game consoles donated by Best Buy and five gift baskets.

Court members were toasted with Red Dog energy drinks and special poop adorned Mardi Paws beads.

Print this story | Email this story | Post A Comment |

Comments

No comments posted.

WRITE A COMMENT

Use the form below to post a brief comment to this story, or respond to other readers. Please use the word count tool to assist you in keeping your remarks to 100 words or fewer.

Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. They review submitted comments periodically during the day for offensive or off-topic content before posting. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. The St. Tammany News is not liable for messages from third parties.

DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
* Personal Information (phone numbers, addresses, etc.)

Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in thesttammanynews.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the St. Tammany News. The St. Tammany News does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized St. Tammany News spokespersons.

Your thoughtful contribution to the online discussion is appreciated.