On Saturday, Sept. 7, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Foothills Animal Shelter will host the fourth annual Toby’s Pet Parade & Fair, proudly supported by Denver7. The event benefits community pets in need and will take place in downtown Golden at Parfet Park.
The inspiration behind the event is Toby, an Australian Shepherd who was first brought to Foothills Animal Shelter in April 2015. He was found running the streets of Westminster with electrical tape around his muzzle. A good Samaritan found him and removed the tape, but Toby was very malnourished and dehydrated. He was brought to the shelter for recovery in the shelter’s foster care program. Despite being a victim of abuse, Toby’s good-natured, loving spirit never waned. After several months in foster care, Toby was adopted by a staff member and then made the official mascot of Foothills Animal Shelter. This remarkable dog and his heartwarming success story are an inspiring example of the life-saving work done every day at Foothills Animal Shelter. To honor Toby, the shelter created Toby’s Pet Parade & Fair as a fun-filled community event to raise the critical funds needed to support and care for homeless pets like him.
The event will include a dog costume parade where animal lovers and their dogs in creative costumes will compete for prizes in categories like Doggie Diva, Best Group, Most Original and more. The 2019 Grand Marshal, Guido, will lead the parade, riding in a 1952 Crosley Crossfit driven by one of the shelter’s more than 500 volunteers. Following the parade will be a fair with food trucks, a beer garden, dog flyball demonstrations, family-friendly games and vendor booths.
“This is such a unique event and the funds raised at Toby’s Pet Parade will help us continue to help the thousands of animals we serve each year,” said Connie Howard, Executive Director of Foothills Animal Shelter. "We can’t wait to share our mission with the community that supports us and have some fun with folks showing off their dogs.”
Registration for the pet costume parade is $20 per dog and includes a free goodie bag. Costumes are encouraged but not required. Guests who would rather not participate in the parade are welcome to watch the parade and attend the fair at no charge.
For more information and to register for the event, visit www.tobyspetparade.org.