Zephyr and Azula, who play Grandma and Little Red Riding Hood, take home trophies at the Valleywide Recreation Park District’s 10th annual Dog Days Canine Festival and Costume Contest on Oct. 5. Valley News/Diane A. Rose Photography
Aldergate Park in Menifee was the site of the Valleywide Recreation Park District’s 10th annual Dog Days Canine Festival and Costume Contest on Oct. 5. About 40 dogs of all shapes and sizes, along with their parents, paraded in front of the judges. , they were hoping to take home a trophy for their four-legged friend’s efforts.
Volunteer judges Monica Reichl, Brianna Perry, and Isaiah Mendez went through rigorous deliberation to determine the winners in each category based on size. Small dogs weighing less than 20 pounds accounted for about half of all entries. Medium dogs weighing 21 to 60 pounds and large dogs weighing 61 pounds and above concluded the competition with four trophies in each division. A dog was chosen as the cutest, scariest, most creative and best human/pet costume, and the judges’ choices were also announced.
Reichl is a theater teacher at Tahquitz High School in Hemet and serves on the Arts Council Menifee Board of Directors. This is the sixth year she has served as a judge for this contest. “I love this job because it combines three of my favorite things: costumes, theater, and dogs,” she said.
Valleywide Public Relations Director Craig Schultz hosted the event and introduced Menifee Mayor Bill Zimmerman to welcome guests at the early morning event. “I want to thank Valleywide for doing this for our residents,” he said. “It’s great to see everyone participating and so many great costumes.”
During the event, vendors shared Fido-worthy information and giveaways. Mandy Yarnall and Isiah Mendez are representatives of Riverside County Animal Services and both work at the San Jacinto Valley Animal Campus. They emphasized the importance of pet identification, as statistics show that one in three pets goes missing during their lifetime. Microchipping, an ID tag on the collar, and keeping a current photo of your pet are all recommended. The local shelter is currently housing 305 dogs when it could hold up to 280. For adoption and more information, please visit https://rcdas.org/.
Breanna Perry has been with Kahoots Pet Supply Company since 2005 and currently manages the family-owned company’s Menifee stores. Her booth will have food samples, toys and treats available, as well as details about on-site dental clinics for dogs and cats, low-cost vaccinations, and pet services such as nail trimming and PetLink microchips. I did. The local store is located at 29787 Antelope Rd., Suite 103. For more information, contact us at 951-566-9940 or https://kahootsfeedandpet.com/pages/kahoots-menifee.
Staff at Haven Pet Center in San Jacinto also shared a message about responsible pet ownership. One of the current adoptees was also there, as well as photos of several other adoptees currently available for adoption. The center is also looking for animal lovers who want to volunteer their time to help improve the lives of homeless pets. For more information, please visit www.HavenPetCenter.org.
In addition to visiting vendor booths before the official start of the contest, the pets also had a friendly interaction with competitors in several shaded areas throughout the park. Dogs and pet parents interacted with upbeat music playing from speakers.
Ocean Marshall, a teacher and Menifee resident, entered Clifford, an Irish Wolfadoodle, in the large dog category. “He weighs about 100 pounds, but it’s mostly fluff,” he said of his furry best friend, who dressed up as an “LA hipster” and took home the Jury Award trophy. Marshall adopted the dog from Animal Friends of the Valleys about two years ago.
Michelle Ignacio and Mika Ocampo take their husky mixes Zephyr and Azula to Aldergate Dog Park every day, but this was their first time participating in a contest. Thanks to their efforts, a pair of dogs dressed as Little Red Riding Hood and a wolf dressed as an old woman won.
Mark and Lisa Fulger’s 4-year-old dog, Maggie, was dressed like a workout queen. From his hairy head in a headband to his sneaker feet, the wannabe gym rat earned high marks for being the most creatively costumed big dog.
Amanda McIntyre entered 15-year-old Lovie into the contest again this year. The adorable pink princess was slow to walk towards the judges, but she was shaking when she was presented with the Jury Award trophy for medium-sized dogs.
The winners of the small category were Chloe and Teddy who were the cutest dressed as Woody and Jessie from Toy Story. Best human/pet costumes, dinosaurs Arlo and Winnie and a boy wearing a furry dinosaur head. The scariest one is Lucky as a crazy killer. The most creative is Charlie Brown dressed as a Slinky toy. And the judges’ choice was Rex as a wizard.
The medium-sized dog winner was the cutest. Pumpkin Luna was handled by Lana Tomlinson, who dressed as a pumpkin spice latte. Human/pet costumes, Mochi and Samantha Pagio from Lilo & Stitch. The most frightening is the spider-like hazel. The most creative cowboy. The judge chose Lovie, who wore a princess costume.
The biggest winners in terms of height were the fairy bride and the cutest in tuxedos, Luna and Rocky. The best human/pet costumes, Zephyr and Azura as Little Red Riding Hood and Grandma. The scariest is Vader, the werewolf, and the most creative is Maggie, the training dog. The judges chose Clifford, a Los Angeles hipster.
Drew Dottinga, Recreation Coordinator at Valleywide Menifee Center, presented the trophies once the winners were announced. Also in attendance at the annual event were Superintendent Maria Vivanco, Marketing Assistant Danielle Patterson, and Menifee, Lanai Negrete’s Senior Recreation Supervisor and Parks Manager. There was also a raffle with great prizes given out by the vendors, making it a win-win event for both people and pets.
For more information, please visit www.gorecreation.org.
