Fun for Furry Fashionistas – What’s a furry fashionista to do when it’s too hot to strut the streets?

What’s a furry fashionista to do when it’s too hot to strut the streets?

This Saturday, July 20, well-heeled hounds and their owners can take to the red carpet and runway at the second annual Harleywood K9 Fashion Contest. Spay Baton Rouge hosts an Oscar-themed fashion show fundraiser for pups and their people inside Harley Davidson Baton Rouge at 5853 Siegen Lane.

“It’s a fun event in an air-conditioned environment, “ says Noelle Harper, Spay Baton Rouge’s fundraising committee chair. “People can bring their dogs out and be as creative as they’d like with costumes—either store-bought or homemade.”

WAFB’s Donna Britt will emcee the fashion show, which allows guests to compete for a coveted Pawscar. Celebrity judges Scotty Mac of 96.1 the River, Travis McLavy of Travis LTD and Kristen Kulinski, DVM, of Cypress Lake Animal Hospital will select the Best Dressed, Most Original Outfit and Best (Owner/Dog) Dynamic Duo.

All canine paw-ty-goers will leave with a swag bag of treats. In addition, Nice Dog Hot Dogs and Louisiana Flavor on Ice sno-cones will donate a portion of the proceeds for refreshments to Spay Baton Rouge as well. Other sponsors include Carriages Fine Clothier at Bocage, Celtic Media, Coca-Cola, Fleming’s Steakhouse, Images by Sharon Turner, Juban’s, Marsh Dog!, Neighborhood Pet Market, Petz Plaza, PF Chang’s and Tsunami.

“The contest, designed for people and their dogs to have fun, also allows us to raise awareness of what we are about,” says Sandra DiTusa, Spay Baton Rouge’s founder and executive director.

Since 2004, the local non-profit has spayed/neutered more than 11,200 cats and dogs, who would otherwise be reproducing uncontrollably.

The organization has made those services affordable and accessible to all East Baton Rouge Parish pet owners by offering low-cost services to low-income families and feral cat colony caretakers. A network of local vets around the city host Spay Days specifically for Spay Baton Rouge’s pre-qualified clients.

Despite the organization’s success, DiTusa says funding is a continuous challenge because of the abundance of pets and people in need of assistance.

“Pet homelessness is still a serious problem in our community. Nearly 44% of all animals impounded yearly in East Baton Rouge Parish are euthanized,” she explains. “If we continue to euthanize as a method to control the pet population, we will continually be playing catch up with animals that produce an average of 10 offspring per year.”

Harleywood funds help provide spay and neuter services, effectively stopping the problem at its source and offering a humane alternative to euthanasia.

Tickets are $25 per dog/owner duo; spectator admission is by donation. Pre-registration is encouraged; but walk-ups are welcome. Registration runs from 11 a.m. until the fashion show begins at noon.

For further details, to purchase tickets or pre-register your dog, visit www.spaybatonrouge.com.

If you’d like a dog date to the event, consider adopting these great canines available from Friends of the Animals.

 Rosa is a small young female Chihuahua. For information about meeting Rosa, please call the FOTA Adoption House at 222-239-7368 or text Rosa’s foster mom at 225-281-4638.

 Max is a one-and-a-half year-old Treeing Walker coonhound. He knows basic obedience commands, is leash trained and housebroken. This very sweet boy gets along fine with all people. He likes to give lots of hugs, stay at your side, lay his head in your lap and belly rubs. He is very smart, learns quickly and listens well to correction. This social butterfly enjoys the dog park and needs a home with a big fenced in yard and preferably other big-dog playmates. Max even gets along with cows. However, he has a strong prey drive and cannot go to a home with cats or small animals.

 Maddie is a cute schnauzer/terrier mix. For more information, contact her foster mom at [email protected].

 Dru is a two-year-old lab mix, who weighs about 45 pounds. This happy boy loves everyone—including children. He enjoys playing with his toys. Food motivated and easy to train, he already knows basic obedience commands, is housebroken, crate- and leash-trained. Dru gets along fine with other dogs. This great guy always aims to please. So, not surprisingly, his favorite reward is being told he is a good boy.

 Sonny is a beautiful senior cocker spaniel, who gets along wonderfully with other dogs and is even well behaved with his foster kitty friends. He is sweet, smart, loyal, listens well and is a total cuddle bug. While Sonny is house trained, his foster parents are working on crate training him. He has shown improvement already, which shows you can teach an old dog new tricks.

 Although he recently weighed in at a scrawny 30 pounds, Beaux is a calm, young gentleman. This cooperative, affectionate and easy-going hound/black mouth cur mix gets along well with other dogs and with people of all ages, including children. For more information, contact his foster mom at [email protected].

All these pets have been spayed/neutered, vaccinated, heartworm tested and microchipped. Many other adoptable dogs are available through Friends of the Animals, friendsoftheanimalsbr.org.