A Texas Beauty Pageant

"All Animals Are Created Equal, but Some Are More Equal Than Others”

..Brittany King (third from left) and Crowned Winners

This was not your typical beauty pageant.  Yes, there were swim wear, formal wear, and talent portions, but the contestants were slightly furrier than normal.  Arlington Texas’s “One Health, One Medicine” Pet Pageant took place on Sunday August 10 at the Cliff Nelson Recreation Center.  A snake ate a gerbil.  No, not really, but the event proved quite entertaining to say the least.  Any type of pet was eligible to enter the pageant, even a monkey and a miniature donkey were rumored to attend. 

Tuxedo Bulldog

Pets could enter in the four categories of Formal Wear, Talent, Swim Wear, and Costume Wear.  Certificates, ribbons, and prizes were given to the winners of each category, to a Miss Congeniality, to The Best Tail, to a crowned Mr. and Miss Arlington, and to various other recipients.  The People’s Choice Grand Prize included a year’s supply of free bagels from the Panera Bread Company.  About 50 local businesses generously donated prizes for the winners’ packages and for the silent auction baskets.  Adam’s Feed and Seed even donated four rescued Australian Shepherd and Jack Russell Terrier puppies to be auctioned off.  All of the proceeds went to a children’s charity and the Arlington Humane Society, a 100% “no-kill shelter” funded entirely by private donations.

Auction Baskets

The event was a great success and a ton of fun!  Dogs, snakes, and gerbils (humorously back-to-back in the line-up) all paraded or slithered down the red carpet in an island decorated setting to the tune of “Who Let the Dogs Out” and other various jams.  There was a dog in a tuxedo, a gerbil dressed as the “Big Bad Wolf” carried in a basket by “Little Red Riding Hood”, and a “hotdog” dachsaund complete with mustard on his back.  Local community members, incoming freshman students from Martin High School, other students, and parents generously donated their Sunday afternoons to make the event a huge success.  The pageant attendees seemed to really enjoy all of the festivities. The businesses that supported the pageant, the volunteers, and the contestants are all to be thanked for their generosity and time.  Without a unified effort, the event would not have been nearly as successful or as entertaining.

Pups for Auction

The last Pet Pageant was held on Sunday April 27th on SGU’s basketball courts.  The event was organized by SAAVMA and veterinary students Rachael Smith and Brittany King.  About 18 dogs entered the pageant and all of the proceeds benefitted the Bel Air Children’s Orphanage in Grenada.  Rachael and Brittany have been working very diligently throughout the US, UK, and Grenada on the “One Health One Medicine” SGU initiative. 

Story submitted by Brittany King