Ypsilanti pet parade raises $465 for Humane Society of Huron Valley

Robert Droppleman plays the bagpipes as a crowd of around 100 pets and owners march down the street at the "St. Pawdy's Day, March of the Mutts" pet parade in Depot Town, Ypsilanti.

Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com

Cloudy skies and chilly weather didn’t stop pet lovers from participating in Ypsilanti’s first ever “St. Pawdy’s Day, March of the Mutts” parade Saturday.

About 100 dog-owners came out to Depot Town and Riverside Park to show off their pets and raise $465 for the Humane Society of Huron Valley.

“The turnout was amazing,” Ypsilanti resident Carole Clare said, who helped organize the event. “We’re a very dog-friendly community.”

Dressed in their finest green and Irish-themed attire, owners walked their dogs through the park, competing to see whose pet was the cutest, ugliest, best behaved, and most Irish. Dogs also competed to see who had the best costume and who looked most like its owner.

“We love to support things locally,” Ypsilanti resident Janice Anschuetz said. “We love our Humane Society.”

Anschuetz’s dog Snickers, a 13-year-old black Shih Tzu, won the program’s “ugliest” category (also known as the dog with the “most character”) but was a definite contender for most Irish.

Dressed in a bright green T-shirt with a “Kiss Me, I’m Irish” headband, Snickers paraded through the park in a green-blanketed stroller, complete with clovers, a leprechaun doll and signs saying “Luck of the Irish” and “Leprechaun Lane.”

Photo slideshow by Angela Cesere

Brandi, a mostly-white Jack Russell terrier, was also dressed to impress. Instead of clothes, Brandi was covered in hand-painted green shamrocks. She matched the homemade shamrock-covered T-shirts of Donald Tafini, 9, and Sharlene Shankwiler, 6, who were hoping to the win the contest for pet who looked most like its owners.

“She’s a 10-year-old veteran of being dressed up,” owner Michelle Shankwiler said, who spent a half-hour painting the dog with food coloring. “As long as she doesn’t have to wear a hat she’s happy.”

Ypsilanti Mayor Paul Schreiber was one of the judges and said the turnout was twice as large as what he expected.

“It proves again what a very vibrant community Ypsilanti is,” he said. “This was really good for the first try, who knows, it may become an annual thing.”

Candace Pinaud, a member of Depot Town Promotions who organized the event, said the group is planning on another parade next year.

“We need people in Depot Town,” she said. “We have to be a destination.”

Erica Hobbs is a reporter for AnnArbor.com. Reach her at 734-623-2537 or at ericahobbs@annarbor.com.