Mardi Paws

People here love their Mardi Gras - a concept entirely foreign to me because all we celebrated growing up in West Texas was high school football! I've quickly been educated on the concept of "Krewes," King cakes, beads and parades.
But it's not just the people who love to dress up crazy and sport some cheap bling - the pets are even in on it!
I've just begun volunteering at an animal shelter. After going to orientation and watching a TERRIBLE video,* I needed something to cheer me up. Luckily, it was Mardi Paws time! People brought all kinds of pets: dogs, cats, ferrets, mini horses, one turtle and one chicken!
I got to pass out the poop bags. I walked up to strangers and said things like, "Think you'll need a poop bag? Better take one just in case!"

I think this mama was bribing her baby to keep the glasses on!

This lady was very proud to pose with her ferret!

This is King Louie. Not sure how he got to be king, but the name seems to fit him. He was bigger than the miniature horses!

King Louie and his posse.

I forgot to ask what Louie was. Anybody know? Great danes don't come in that color - do they?

Of course I found some pugs in the crowd!!! These guys had their very own car!

A fellow flat noser.

Some of the larger dogs were used as bead holders by their humans!

This pug's mama is as obsessed as I am!!! She gave me her # and we are going to have a play date with our babies! I've practically stalked every pug I see on the island so we can start a meetup here. We go to the one in the big city once a month, but I'd love to have a flat noser group once a week!

And people say my boys are spoiled!

I'll post more pictures from Mardi Paws later, along with some from the human parade. We waited to go to what was supposed to be the calmer one, and I only saw one set of boobs.
It made me think of something a friend of mine said: "They're throwing plastic beads, so why should they get to see my real boobs? Throw some diamonds or something and then they may get to see something."

* It's a no-kill shelter, but there are rare cases when euthanasia is absolutely necessary. The orientation leader-lady said if we could get through the video, then we'd surely be able to deal with other sad situations. Thanks, no volunteer ever has to assist with putting an animal to sleep.