Doggy ‘divas’ strut their stuff
When I arrived at Devonshire at PGA National to judge the retirement community’s Doggy Diva Day, it was almost impossible to resist the urge to rush over to the dolled-up dogs and lavish them with affection.
I had to maintain my objectivity, though, so I watched from a distance while the pooches sniffed and gave each other kisses before lining up for their fashion show in honor of National Pet Day.
Eventually, I took my place on the three-judge panel that included WPEC-Channel 12 meteorologist Jeff Berardelli and Rebecca Wingardner, the daughter of Devonshire Executive Director Jim Wingardner. We had the task of scoring the dogs based on appearance, creativity, theme, execution and behavior as they quickly pranced past us down a runway of sorts. The contestants included: ■ A toy poodle and Shih Tzu dressed as a bride and groom
■ Gizmo, a rescued Brussels-griffon mix dressed like a cowboy ■ Two little Easter pups ■ Harrison, Devonshire’s sweet golden retriever therapy dog dressed as a waiter, along with his handler
■ A pair of 10-week-old Yorkie-Chihuahuas named Rufus and Nutella that could probably have fit in the palm of my hand
Believe it or not, those weren’t even the winners. June Fuhrman’s 9-year-old Havanese, Maggie, took top honors dressed as a Navy sailor girl with red bows tucked behind both ears. Why a sailor? “It just looked right for her with the red bows. It fit her personality,” Fuhrman told me. “She is as sweet as good as she can be, and she understands everything.”
Dellie Rosen’s 7-year-old Havanese Joanie finished a close second as a blushing bride whose costume, I learned after the contest, was painstakingly homemade. Joanie had wedding music accompany her as Rosen escorted her down the aisle in her doggy stroller decorated Sarah Peters with a “Just Married” sign.
Rosen said tried to buy a wedding gown online but came up empty, so she crafted the dress and veil herself over the course of a couple weeks.
“It was fun to do,” Rosen said. “I would take out my glue gun and needle and thread and work on it.”
Dede Levinson’s 10-yearold golden retriever, Sara, a rescue from Montana, won third place dressed as a member of a congregation/temple. I gave her points for creativity and timing it with Passover.
Mary and Bob Smith’s 9-year-old Maltese, Pample Moose, would make an ador- able helper for the Easter bunny, wearing a tutu with Easter eggs around her neck.
After the winners were announced, I no longer had to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest with any of the contestants, so I got my fix of snuggles and kisses.
As a dog lover who doesn’t have a dog, the experience was a treat.