This week I attended one of my favrite events of the Canine Social Season, the Sea Oaks Parade of Champions, which supports the Vero Beach Humane Society. It was the Cool Kibble-est Ever, with about 36 pooches paw-ticipating. I could’ve written WAY more than I’m allowed!
The Parade takes place on the tennis court, with bleechers on one side anna buncha chairs set up on the clubhouse porch on the other side. Durin’ the rest of the year, dogs are Totally NOT Allowed on the tennis court! Period! Which, states tennis ball Superfan Maverick Cleveland, “is extremely challengin’ an confusin’ when there we are, watchin’ our humans play tennis, with all those lovely balls all over the place, but we can’t chase ’em! But then, it’s OK to chase ’em at home later.”
Before the Parade an judging, pooches of all sizes, breeds and doganalities, washed, fluffed, polished an wearin’ their snazziest collars, vests, bandanas an hairbows, gathered in front of the clubhouse with their humans for Meet-an-Greets and snacks. It was very con-GENIE-ell, with tons of wag-an-sniffs an frenly, low-voll-yum woofs. There was even a welcome sign just for ME, with a big red bone stuffy! Crispy Biscuits, right?
One of my besties, Tess Potato, who I call the Grand Dame of the event, was busy as always, helping her human make sure everything was runnin’ smoothly, but took a short break to innerduce me around.
We approached a husky pooch with shiny hair, a large square face an frenly eyes, eagerly exchangin’ Wag-an-Sniffs, an smellin’ all the new smells.
“This is Grover,” Tess said. “He’s 7. He’s a rescue boxer mixture, an a Speshull Guest, currently a Humane Society foster, hopin’ to find a Furever Famly. He’s here with his foster mom Corianna Funderburk, and Humane Society rep David Levite.”
With a large smile, Grover said, “Howd’ya DO, Mr. Bonzo sir! I know I’m kinda big an maybe a liddle clunky and totally NOT a cute, cuddly-wuddly pupper, so it’s been hard findin’, you know, a Furever Famly. But I’m well-buhaved, an frenly, so I’m hopin’ I will.”
“We’ll Grover,” I said earnestly, “I’ve found that the right humans and the right pooches usually find each other, even when things look pretty hopeless. An you’re in the right place for that to happen.”
(Over the years, I’ve learned the Humane Society humans do their Very Best to find Furever Homes for their residents.)
I love makin’ new pooch pals at this event, an runnin’ into old frens, like Cosmo Vincent, a super spruce Sheltie who hangs out with a buncha other Serious Tennis Ball fans includin’ Maverick, Sugar, MeMe an Marty (aka the Grand Ol’ Man of the Sea Oaks dog community, rockin’ a sporty blue scarf).
Marty later shared, with a grin, “I’m gettin’ Up There, ya know. 91 in human. An I have bad knees. You mighta noticed my limp. But you can bet I’m not alone. A lotta humans here at Sea Oaks have bad knees, too, and we all just Keeps Goin’! I mean, what else are ya gonna do?”
(Doncha love a fella pooch with a sense of humor anna good attitude?)
May Kender, a Jersey Grrrl Coonhound rescue, announced, “Hey, I’m from Hoboken.
Came here to get outta the fluffin’ cold, an I’m lovin’ the sun an the beach! Know what I’m sayin’?”
Gunner Liljedahl, an Australian Labradoodle, noted that he, too, is a fan of the beach.
Durin’ the judging, when each pooch an human walked briskly around the ring, Gunner an his human, Mary Anne, did that Big Dogshow Lope all the way around. Very impressive, I thought.
“I don’t usually care for Lopin’. I’m more of a Couch Surfer,” Isla McAllister, a Sheltie, admitted. “However, for a treat at the end, I’m gonna do it. But I preFUR watchin’ other pooches Lope, speshully the Westminster Dog Show on TV, preferably with a broccoli snack.”
Lab Mixture Cassie (short for Casablanca) Keim is a charming ra-con-TOOR, who enjoys sharing stories about her excitin’ years playin’ shortstop for the Mets! (I think she might have winked at me, when concluding her tail.)
“Meet Sandy Reck” said Tess as we approached a pretty Aussiedoodle. “She’s just a year old. Born an raised right here in Sea Oaks.”
“A pleasure, Miss Sandy,” I said, for some reason having a mental pickshur of a pirate ship aground on the shore.
“Thank you, Mr. Bonzo. I’m an eye-lin grrrl. I love playin’ on the beech!”
Another new fren was Daisy Alexander, also a beach fan, an quite adventurous. “I always like to keep movin,’” she exclaimed. “I love, love, love the O-shun! I’m into Extreme Hole Diggin’! An body surfin’ in the WAVES, like the Big Kahuna! Have you ever seen a Nurse Shark? I have!”
“Woof, Miss Daisy!!” was all I could come up with.
A human, Isabel Teplitz, was event Chair (not the sittin’ on kind) an did the announcin’ as each pooch/human team did the Walk Around the Tennis Court. She did a Cool Kibbles job, an also was pretty funny. I’m glad I didn’t haff to juggle all those papers like she did. I have trouble enuff keepin’ my notebook pages organized. I’m also Really Glad I didn’t haff to judge. Humans Libby Mitchell an Steve Blum aced that.
I had to leave before the winners were announced, so Tess Woof-mailed me the list of Best in Category Winners: Leash Walker, Isla McAllister; Awesome Paws, Julie Teplitz; Doganality, Gus Van Beek; Judge’s Pal, Daphne Minicozzi; Tail Wagger, Finn LaBarge; Mini Me, MeMe Brasher; Shortest Tail, Brodie Smith; Frenliest, Maisy Arnold; Most Likely to Disobey, Cassie Keim; Rescue, Lola Smythe; an Longest Ears, Tess Potato!
Headin’ home, I was feelin’ all happy, energized, anna liddle nostalgic, thinkin’ about my Crispy Biscuits Sea Oaks pals, an all you other pooch pals, present an hopefully future.