Best dressed pets complete for wagging rights

Oct, 28-2009 12:29 pm

By STEVE PRISAMENT
Staff Writer

GALLOWAY TOWNSHIP – Friends Pat Oliveri of Manahawkin and Elaine Michels of Waretown are five-year veterans of the annual Smithville Halloween Pet Parade on the Village Greene.

“It’s fun for me,” Oliveri said as she helped position two Yorkies and two Maltese in position on a wagon that featured two dogs in a cauldron, as though being stewed by the other two. “I’m already working on next year.”

Michels said they get input for the dogs’ themes from grandchildren and neighbors.

Both women enter dogs in regular shows as well.

And, according to Michels, each has a rescued Yorkie from a puppy mill in Arkansas.

“This year it’s a lunch wagon – you kill it, we grill it,” Oliveri said. “We each have four dogs and we brought two each. Archie and Kodie have been in our floats all five years. The small ones are good at traveling. The ones we left home – there are reasons.”

Maltese Archie and Yorkie Kodie were the warlocks doing the cooking in this year’s exhibit. Ava was dressed as a skunk and Maya as a squirrel.

“The parade was lots of fun this year,” Oliveri said. “My goodness. We got more attention this year than ever.”

Oliveri can tick off the themes, year by year.

“The first year I was there, I didn't do much because I didn't know what it was all about,” she said. “It was just me and Archie. Then in 2005 I entered Archie and Abbey in Hawaii; in 2006 Archie and Abbey get married; 2007, Archie and Abbey as Mr. and Mrs. Santa and Tinker as an elf.

“In 2008 I went in with Elaine and we did a fishing boat. The four boys were dressed as fishermen in the boat and the girls were mermaids that walked on leashes,” she said. “Eight dogs were too much to handle, so we each chose two this year.”

There were 117 dogs entered, according to George Heffentrager, who with his wife Tina runs Paw Dazzle of Smithville – a pet boutique and bakery.

“More than $700 was raised for the Humane Society of Atlantic County,” Heffentrager said. “The money comes from registrations in the parade and from the raffles that are held.”

Honorable mentions went to Rebecca and Carol Wright of Sicklerville and their dachshund Duchess dressed as a Slinky dog; Trish Cleveland of Galloway Township and her beagle pup Snoopy; Oliveri and Michels with Archie, Ava, Kodie and Maya; and Michele and Isabella Shillito of Egg Harbor Township with Louie, the parade’s first-ever cat, in a dinosaur costume.

Third place went to Patricia and Andrew Riegel of Absecon and their pet Jack in an elephant costume. Second prize went to Annette Smith of Toms River with Jin-Jin and Rebecca dressed as UPS vehicles. First-place winners were sisters-in-law Susanne Cruz and Jessica Cruz of Hammonton with Jasper, Lola and Sammie in the “Cooking the Lobster” float.

To comment on this story

email steve.prisament

@catamaranmedia.com.