The dog days of Summer are here and for dogs in Aurora, the biggest day of the Summer is right around the corner.
Registration is open for the second annual Aurora Pooch Parade, which will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 8 at Phillips Park, 1000 Ray Moses Drive.
Owners can register their dogs online at www.aurora-il.org/PoochParade until Friday, Sept. 6. All dogs must be current on vaccinations, socialized, and standard-leashed.
The first 100 registrants are guaranteed a spot in the parade and are eligible to compete for the following awards: Crowd favorite, biggest dog, smallest dog, best Aurora pride, best costume, best tail, most beautiful eyes, most energetic and twinsies (owner and dog). A panel of community judges will cast the ballots, including special celebrity guest judges Little Miss Aurora Alaria Selmon and Little Mr. Aurora Benjamin Mendoza.
This year’s grand marshal is Kovu, a four-year-old, 100-pound Italian Mastiff. Called a Cane Corso, Kovu is the winner of the 2018 Crowd Favorite Award and Best Costume Award.
Dogs available for adoption from the Aurora Animal Care and Control (AACC) will be onsite for viewing during the parade and guests are encouraged to bring donations to support AACC, including grain-free canned food and treats, small beds, shampoo, brushes and combs, fleece blankets, and squeaky toys of all sizes.
Held at the historic Phillips Park Sunken Garden area, the Aurora Pooch Parade is fun for the entire family with music, puppy pools, pet supply vendors, and food trucks.
—City government of Aurora