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Fiesta is nearing its final day of this 11-day celebration, and on Saturday morning in Alamo Heights, it was BYOP — Bring-Your-Own-Pooch. Organized by Therapy Animals of San Antonio (TASA), the Pooch Parade is a 2.6 mile walk with dogs and their owners. It also serves as a fundraiser for TASA.
Gates opened at 7:30 a.m. near the Judson Nature Trails. Booths offered not only food but also training technique demonstrations and costume contests. The categories for this contest were: Most Creative, Most Patriotic, Best Fiesta Flair, Best Matched Human and Animal and Best in Show.
Runner-up for Top Dog were 4-year-old Cooper and 8-year-old Emmet. Both are Frenchtons, which is a mix between a French bulldog and a Boston terrier.
Their costume was inspired by “Top Gun.” It consisted of their owners, Darlene and Emmanuel Pantoja, dressed up as “Top Gun” characters, Phoenix and Maverick, while Cooper and Emmet rode in their strollers, decorated to look like tiny jets, "Little Creeper” and “Stinky Beans.”
“We did the theme of 'Top Gun' because they don’t walk. They’re big lap dogs, so we have our stroller. So we’re like 'Why don't we put them into fighter jets?’ Emmet took on Maverick and Cooper took on Iceman,” Pantoja said.
Winners of every contest received a 3D-printed trophy or a certificate for honorable mention.
The Pooch Parade began at 9:30 a.m. and it was led by Teddy, King Anbarkio riding a Fiesta-themed float.
Rocco is an 8-month-old cane corso who rocked a Spurs jersey at the Pooch Parade. His owner Chelsea Jimenez said he weighs 85 pounds but will reach approximately 150 pounds when he is fully grown.
Rocco has been training to become a service dog, and he and Jimenez attended the event to help work on his social skills with other humans and dogs.
Jimenez said she found the booths at the event very helpful.
“We talked to the pet supplies people. They actually asked about their diets and allergens which was nice. So we got a lot of good recommendations,” Jimenez said. “One of the groomers was even teaching us how to do his nails and get him desensitized to it.”
Although Nyx and her owner Juan Felipe did not win Most Creative costume, TASA suggested Nyx, an 18-month-old rescue from the Humane Society in Houston, would make a good service animal.
“Something really cool happened today. Though we didn’t win, they [TASA] came up to us to ask if we were interested in entering [Nyx] as one of the service animals to come into different events in hospitals and stuff," Felipe said. "She would just need some minor training because she is so docile and friendly. Kids, older people, other dogs, cats, everything, she’s super docile."
Felipe said their alebrije and Catrina costumes were made on Friday night due to Nyx chewing up the progress on their initial costume idea.
Nyx, named after the Greek goddess of the night, was dressed up as an alebrije, brightly colored, fantastical creatures, who are considered spiritual guides in Mexican folk culture, and Felipe dressed as a Catrina, a Mexican symbol typically seen during the Day of the Dead.
Dogs of all ages and breeds were welcome to participate in the parade as long as they were leashed and under supervision at all times.
