100 dogs in costumes walk in Quinpool holiday pet parade

A furry flurry swept down Quinpool Road Saturday afternoon.

Festively dressed dogs and their owners walked up and down the sidewalk as part of the 7th annual Quinpool Holiday Pet Parade. Participants were led by Santa Claus and Quinpool Road mascot Quinpool Rhoda, as cars honked their support and passersby stopped to pet the furry walkers.

This was the first parade for Dusty, a Shiba Inu puppy, who was brought to the event by his owner Jovana Duke.

“It’s too bad the parade can’t be in the street,” said Duke. “I think it would be a lot more fun for people.”

Karla Nicholson, executive director of the Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association, said there were 60 dogs in the last year’s parade. This year there were 103.

“It’s a very magical hour on Quinpool Road,” she said. “Dogs always make you feel good anyway, so to be around a whack of them all dressed up, with proud pet owners, is a pretty cool thing to have.”

Nicholson said this year was special because spectators were waiting for the first time in the parade’s history. Some even crossed the street to see them come back the other way. One boy told her he liked it better than the Parade of Lights because he got to walk in the pet parade.

“I’ve never thought of that as a reason why we are so special,” she said.

This year, a new parade-goer led the march. Quinpool Rhoda is the Queen of Quinspired gift ideas, and the new mascot of Quinpool Road. She gets lots of her wardrobe inspiration from Dr. Seuss, and said she does a lot of shopping in Whoville.

She was delighted with the day.

“I feel on top of the world,” she said, “because dogs have the capacity to make you feel like you’re the most special thing in the world, don’t you find?”