Pet owners know theirs is the cutest, best, most interesting fur baby around.
Let the world know it while supporting less-fortunate pets by walking with them in the Tucson Subaru Pets of Pima Parade, set for Sunday, Feb. 19.
The $50 fee will benefit Pima Animal Care Center. Torre Chisholm, executive director of Friends of PACC, said it’s fine if participants want to donate the entry fee.
“Some people just make the $50 donation, but a lot of people will do a fundraiser,” he said. “They’ll ask friends and family to make a $10 donation toward participating in this parade and supporting the animals.”
The parade is divided into three parts. There’s the “Raising Cane’s Procesión de los Perros,” for dogs, including a separate section for the wheelie set. Then there’s the cat “TEP Cat Convoy.” Finally, there’s the Pet Pride segment, where everything else may walk, fly or crawl as the case may be. Evidently there is a need for this section.
“Even last year we had an incredible variety,” Chisholm said. “There were goats, chickens, a lot of reptiles, birds. You see a little bit of everything.”
Everything, that is, except horses, which are not allowed in the parade, because there are no accommodations for them or their trailers.
Some pets bark or bite too much to be present in public so the Friends have an answer for that. Those pet owners may carry a big cutout of their pets’ faces glued to a stick, otherwise known as a Fathead.
Sometimes pets like to dress up for the event, and they like their humans to dress up, too. Chisholm said that is perfectly fine.
“The best thing about the event is you just can’t help but smile,” he said. “There are just hundreds of beautiful animals. A lot of them are dressed up. Everybody’s just in a good mood.”
Elizabeth Cerveri is the owner of One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning of Tucson. This is one of her favorite parts of the day.
She and her staff and family have been collecting money for PACC all year, and they are looking forward not only to showing off their pets and decorated van, but to handing over their $1,000 donation.
Her technicians collect donations for PACC, the Salvation Army or Community Food Bank. One Hour matches every $1.
It’s a true labor of love that is relatively painless for their customers. It’s even in the company’s handbook.
“We are in people’s homes, so how can we do this?” Cerveri said. “We actually have a conversation, and we will donate $1 to (the chosen) organization, and then we will match it on your behalf.”
Cerveri said she and her employees are all excited about seeing who else is in the parade, which begins promptly at 10 a.m. and moves on to Fourth Avenue. Merchants will be open, and onlookers may watch the fur and feathers go by.
The parade ends at Fourth Avenue and Seventh Street, where the Four Legs on Fourth Festival takes place. There will be vendors, live music, and pets available for adoption. Look also for a classic car show. The entire event is an opportunity to “create new families with fur babies,” Chisholm said.
The Tucson Subaru Pets of Pima Parade
WHEN: 8:30 to 9 a.m. registration; 9:30 to 10 a.m. prepare for parade; 10 a.m. parade Sunday, Feb. 19
WHERE: The Nonstop for Tucson Staging area is on Third Avenue between Fifth and Sixth streets
COST: $50 to walk, children 17 and younger may register for free if they are with their families, free to watch the parade
INFO: petsofpimaparade.com
