I always look forward to the Sea Oaks Pawrade of Champions, one of my very favrite annual events. Sea Oaks is an exceedingly Pooch-Centric nayberhood, an every year the resident pooches an their humans have this big, fun parade an get-together at the tennis courts. The Cool Kibble-est thing about it is that it raises funds for the Humane Society, so it can help lotsa Pooches Less Fortunate.
Pre-Pawrade, the Sea Oaks dogs an their humans meet and greet, get caught up on the latest NOOS, an welcome back all the Snowbirddogs. TRAY fun. I love seeing old pooch pals and meetin’ bran new pooches, an I speshully enjoy watchin’ the Big Paw-rade, where the pooches, on leash with their humans, strut their STUFF, an come-PETE in several Cool Kibbles Dog-uh-gories.
THIS year, there was also – RAIN! LOTS of RAIN the night buhfore, an that VERY MORNING: The tennis court where the paw-rade shouldda been was Totally Covered with wadder. Actual Soggy Dog Biscuits.
So the Humans In Charge hadda move everything to the clubhouse front padio an re-set it up Very Fast. An they DID IT! Thank Lassie the rain finally stopped Just In Time to NOT rain on the paw-rade. (For some reason, that made my wanna burst into song. I didn’t, tho.)
Anyway, about twenny dogs participated this year, includin’ six past winners defending their titles and three brand new challengers.
The Paw-rade of Champions benefits the Humane Society of Vero Beach, so they can help lots of animals less fortunate. Actually, two Humane Society humans were this year’s judges. Cool Kibbles, right?
An, the duh-lish-shus prizes were pawsome biscuits donated by Miss Amy from Dogdays Homemade Barkery. Tray Yum, I can tell you from personal experience.
As always, in spite of the cold wet weather, I was SO happy to re-connect with my longtime pal and frequent event spokespooch Tess Potato, an her human Joan. Tess has been havin’ Serious Health Issues but was feelin’ an lookin’ great, finally. She innerduced me to Miss Julie Teplitz, a very beautiful black-an-white Border Collie, to whom, for this year’s event, Tess had passed the Spokespooch Torch. Miss Julie innerduced me to all the pawsome parade pooches, and her Mom, Isobel, was the human spokesperson, who innerduced all the pooch participants while Julie announced the Dog-a-gory winners.
Winning the Best Talker Dog-a-gory was bran new Sea Oaks resident Yankee Belle Sperry.
“Yankee Belle’s birthday is today,” Julie announced. “She’s 11.”
Lucy Finigan, a dachshund, was chosen Best Tail Wagger, an Woof was she ever. Great technique. “Lucy likes the beach, jus like me.” Julie said. “She also loves liddle humans. An lizards, which gives me the willies.
“Elmo Keller is what I call an All-American,” Julie noted. “He’s always sayin’ ‘Elmo’s my name an bein’ a dog is my game.’ He was picked as Funniest, which doesn’t surprise me At All.”
“I’m also not surprised Drew Blum (a black Lab) got Most Serious for the second year inna row! I think he’s handsome (don’t tell him I said that) an he trained as a Veteran Service Dog. Other than his human family, he likes hangin’ around with Scientists!”
“Woof” I said. “That’s IS serious.”
“I know! Right?” Julie said, then, “Oliver Burns got Most Shy. He totally IS. He’s real sweet but kinda quiet, even tho he’s a Yorkie. He ackshully LIKES bein’ a Lap Dog. He’s 12 but still pretty spry.”
“Cassie Burns got Best Rescue. She’s a Lab mixture. She was the one who did that huh-LARRY-us bit with her neighbor, Elmo!”
Julie was referring to a funny liddle show the two poocheroos put on durin’ a break. So, Cassie an Elmo’s humans put these big fluffy sorta collar things around Cassie and Elmo’s necks, an then their humans held the leashes and walked along holding a big book, with Cassie on one side an Elmo on the other, an all the human in the audience hadda guess what they were doin’.
Julie then announced that Aggie Austin, a very loveable Cavalier King Charles Spaniel whom her humans call “the consummate lap dog,” was picked as Most Pawsome. “She really, really loves humans.”
“Sandy Reck’s an Aussie Doodle,” Julie explained. “She’s this year’s Judges’ Pal. An woof does she love the beach, so she’s ackshully Sandy. Get it? She also loves Laps an her Furever Famly.”
I was delighted that my pal Miss Tess got named Best Prancer. She always likes to say, “I SMELL!” Then she laughs, cuz she is an official USCESS Detection Dog Champion.
The final award, Best Puppy, went to Louie Grinnell. “He’s SO ram-BUNK-shus,” Julie said. “But adorable. He loves everybody. I hear he’s already eaten three dog beds. So far. I also hear he’s sharing Best Puppy title with another Sea Oaks Puppy, Tasman, whom I haven’t met yet. I Know he’s around here somewhere.”
The rest of this year’s Pawsome Parade of Champions Pooches included: Lucy Dankert, an English Bulldog who wisely recommends not to take life too seriously; Lucy’s big sister Annie Dankert (who puts up with her liddle sister); Daphne Minicozzi, a Cockapoo who loves people an belly rubs. Daphne is also the Most Senior Champion; born in the faraway land of Boise, Pebbles Duff, a Havanese, was last year’s Best Puppy winner; Isla McAllister, a Sheltie, enjoys lying about barking at people and fellow pooches. Plus, she loves broccoli; Rory Venne, a Sheltie, loves walking in Sea Oaks an Jungle Trail an sitting on the beach; Tuck MacDonald, a Bichon Frise, is a fluffy white Mama’s Boy who is emotionally unavailable to the general public unless treats are involved; Finn LaBarge is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel partial to long walks, naps in the sun an treats; an Molly Farhy, is a Maltese “bundle of joy” who loves people, treats and squeaky toys and who can summon up a ferocious bark when needed.
Heading home, I was thinkin’ how Crispy Biscuits Sea Oaks’ annual Paw-rade is, an how much it helps Pooches Less Fortunate. Oh, by the way, didja figure out what Cassie, Elmo an their humans were doin’? “Reading Between the Lions.”
Till next time,
Don’t Be Shy
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