Notice: The Museum's 2010 Hoboken Pet Parade has been canceled due to scheduling conflicts. We will renew the tradition in the spring, and a date will be announced with the full 2011 calendar. There is a Bark in the Park event in Liberty State Park on Oct. 10, and a Halloween event may be organized by other groups. Stay tuned for details.
In October, more than a hundred pet lovers gathered on the waterfront for the Hoboken Historical Museum's annual Hoboken Pet Parade. Young Olivia Maryanski and her Yorkie mix, “Brooklyn,” won over the crowd and took home a “Best Pet/Owner Look-Alike” trophy, in 2009, for their matching costumes as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz: both wore wigs of chestnut braids, gingham dresses and white blouses. The girl was discovered at last year's Pet Parade by the producers of the TV show, “From Underdog to Wonderdog,” which places homeless dogs with caring families and tracks their progress.
Several of the other trophy winners, eight in all, were also adopted from shelters and many wore homemade costumes. Best Costume trophies went to “Sebastian,” a dachshund mix dressed as a three-headed dog in a costume hand-sewn by owner Luanne Budreau; and to “Simon,” a pug dressed as a “Distinguished Gentleman,” sporting a vest and tie, by his owner Abe Vallejo. The other Pet/Owner Look-Alike trophy went to a St. Bernard named “Benny,” outfitted with a rescue sled and small barrel of brandy, and his owner, Debby Antonucci.
Best Group Costume trophies went to Michele DeCicco's “Jailhouse Rock” team, consisting of four people wearing prison stripes accompanying “Jakey” the dog dressed as Elvis and a live “jailbird” parrot, “Blinky”; and to the “Fuzzy Caterpillars,” which were a pair of dachshunds, “Lily” and “Ernesto,” wearing colorful pompom-festooned outfits hand-made by owners Jean and Ann Vitolo. Best Pet Trick trophies were awarded to Mary Grace's “Pugsley,” who caught soap bubbles, and a Jack Russell who responded to a finger-gun and “bang-bang” command by dropping and playing dead (and who left before we could collect their names).
A slide show of photographs by Adam Saynuk is linked here, www.studiosaynuk.com/pet_parade/
The Museum launched the free event in 2004 in conjunction with the exhibit, “City Animals,” whose aim was to raise awareness of the important role animals play in Hoboken's civic life. This year, the Museum produced “City Animals: A Map and Guide for Pet Owners,” with helpful information on city ordinances, local parks and listings of local pet services, thanks to support from title sponsors Cornerstone Pets, Aussie Pet Mobile, and the Hoboken Dog Association, and supporting sponsors, Animal General Veterinary/River Pet Resort & Rehab, 4 Paws Nanny Service, Hoboken Pet Care, Hounds on the Hudson, and Metro Dogs. Additional copies are available at the Museum.
Event organizer Melissa Abernathy would like to thank Bill Curran and Claire Lukacs for their work on the City Animals Map and Guide; judges Jeff Laylon, Eric Diaz, Jackie Bellizzi, Peggy Ramos, Cari Friedman, Kim Pamperin, and Adam Cox; and volunteers Dennis English, Claire Lukacs, Becca Nelson, Rebecca Reisner, Eileen Shine and David Webster, and several students from Stevens Institute of Technology's Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. We especially appreciate the support of the City's Office of Public Safety, Parking Utility and Environmental Services for ensuring a smooth event.