Fans of man’s best friend gathered at Wilder Park in Aurora on Sunday for the seventh annual Aurora Pooch Parade, a showcase of more than 125 dogs “walking with their owners and competing for top prizes.”
Cassie Greenhill of Oak Forest came to take part in the parade with her dog Riley, a 5-year-old pit bull beagle mix.
“I came out here because I went to Aurora University and am a proud alum and I figured when Aurora was having their Pooch Parade I thought, oh, we should come back,” Greenhill said.
“We are rocking this for the first time.,” she said. “We’re excited to see all the dogs and Riley has been working a little bit on obedience too.”
The event also showcased a number of pet vendors and service groups including the VCA Animal Hospital, Paws For A Cause, Fat Sam’s, Honey Paws and Woof Woof Creations.
A press release from the city of Aurora noted that Aurora Animal Care and Control was also attending the event, “offering free pet microchipping services, while collecting donations for dog and cat food, toys, treats and more.”
Mike Nelson, Aurora’s director of community events, said the event “is all about the dogs,” noting that the parade, along with giving owners a chance to show off their dogs, also gives Aurora Animal Care and Control a place to spotlight the animals it has up for adoption.
“About seven years ago, the staff of the city realized we had a very crowded animal shelter or specifically the dog portion of the center, so we decided to create this Pooch Parade in an attempt to highlight the available dogs that are up for adoption and do whatever we can to publicize that these dogs do need a home,” Nelson said.
The event was moved to Wilder Park this year after officials felt that “the event had outgrown the Phillips Park sunken garden area a bit.”
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“We decided to pivot things over to Wilder Park … because of better parking and more green space for the dogs,” Nelson said.
Dogs and their owners filled the sidewalk leading up to where the parade was scheduled to start Sunday morning.
Jalyn Moss of Aurora brought her dog Shadow, a standard poodle, to the Pooch Parade and said she has come to the event four times.
“We always come to do the dress-alike contest and we won once when we were dressed as Mickey Mouse,” Moss said. “We keep doing it. I really enjoy seeing the different costumes that match with the dog and the owner. They’re very creative.”
Lindsay O’Connor of Montgomery had Dee Dee in tow, a toy poodle who was dressed as the Little Mermaid.
“She loves being around people and bringing people joy and that’s what the Pooch Parade is all about,” O’Connor said. “I want to show her off and see all the wonderful vendors we have and what else Aurora has to offer to offer and meet other dogs and families.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.