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Four paws up: Carnegie Dogapalooza returns with fun for all

By Katherine Mansfield staff Writer mansfield@observer-Reporter.Com 3 min read
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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

In this file photo from June 2022, Alan and Jess Whittington and pup Boggins are all smiles after being crowned first place in the Carnegie Dogapalooza’s Pittsburgh Spirit costume contest. The winning trio stands in front of the Carnegie Park Stone Pavilion, which needs donations of money and labor for updates.

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Pet owners and their best pups wait eagerly to hear, "Order up!" at last week's Carnegie Dogapalooza. Franktuary was, appropriately, the event's food vendor, and other vendors included Forsythe Miniature Golf & Snacks, the forthcoming Carnegie Dog Stop and Wish 99.7.

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Goblin greets visitors to Goblin Girl Designs's vendor table at last week's Carnegie Dogapalooza. Lori Korchok, who sells handmade pet accessories through Goblin Girl's Design, was a first-time vendor at the event.  

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Doodle and Megan Freed, of Mt. Lebanon, sport matching outfits in the annual Carnegie Dogapalooza pet parade. The Freeds won first place in the Owner and Dog Matching Costume contest.

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Katherine Mansfield/Observer-Reporter

Boggins is show-stopping in a rainbow Love is Love outfit at last week’s Carnegie Dogapalooza, where the pup and owners Alan and Jess Whittington won first place in the Pittsburgh Spirit costume contest.

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Debby Beer, right, and Mona Salmen march in Carnegie's Dogapalooza pet parade last week. Beer's pups Luccy, Suzzy and Cammy were awarded Most Creative Costume. 

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Pups and their owners took to the Carnegie Park street last week during Dogapalooza. The pet parade was a treat for participants and onlookers alike.

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Dogs dressed in their colorful or creative best lead pet owners along the Carnegie Dogapalooza parade route last week. The event, back after a two-year hiatus, drew a large crowd of dog owners and pet vendors.

Carnegie Park was packed with paws-atively precious pups and their humans, local vendors and a food truck last week, for the return of the Carnegie Dogapalooza after a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19.

“People are doing things now again,” said Cristy Crawshaw, of Carnegie, who started the event in 2015 as part of her Girl Scout Gold Award project. “This year, we’re getting off our feet again. We were debating if we were going to do it again, not do it again. It’s a beautiful day, lots of great vendors.”

Among the vendors on-site for the puppy-palooza were Fortsythe Miniature Golf & Snacks, PetPeople (formerly PetValu), the forthcoming Carnegie Dog Stop and Goblin Girl Designs, a local seller who offers handmade pet accessories.

“I’ve never been to Dogapalooza before,” said Goblin owner Lori Korchok. “We do a lot of pet events. (This) was a great event.”

The event drew dog owners and their puppies to Carnegie’s dog park, where four-legged attendees zoomed around, and dogs and humans alike enjoyed milling about the green space and chatting with other pet lovers over lunch by Franktuary.

The shining moment of the day was, of course, the pet parade. More than a dozen cute dogs dressed in colorful and creative costumes strutted their stuff for an adoring crowd and the judges, who awarded prize baskets to the top three winners in each category.

“It was kind of a last-minute costume,” laughed Megan Freed, of Mt. Lebanon, who took home first place in the Owner and Dog Matching Costume contest.

Freed and her puppy, Doodle, arrived to their first Dogapalooza dressed as Ty Beanie Babies.

“It was awesome,” Freed said.

Debby Beer has trekked from Ford City to Carnegie every year to experience the awesomeness of Dogapalooza with her borough-based friend Mona Salmen.

“You can’t really put your finger on it,” Beer said, lounging in the shade with her Most Creative Costume-winning dogs Suzzy, Luccy and Cammy, who dressed as firefighters and police officers. “It’s nice to get out with other dog people.”

The event was free, and donations were encouraged. At least a quarter of the donations will be sent to an animal shelter in Ukraine, Crawshaw said. Remaining funds will be invested in Carnegie’s dog park.

“We’re looking at getting some stations put into the dog parks that might improve the experience,” Crawshaw said. “Anything that will help them out. The borough, they helped out a lot this year.”

While this year’s Dogapalooza was smaller than in years past – some vendors were already booked for the weekend, and others still aren’t traveling due to COVID – Crawshaw already has big plans for next year. She’s got her fingers crossed for a traveling vaccine clinic, a pet grooming truck and additional vendors.

Crawshaw said she’s toyed with expanding the event, perhaps hosting it at the Point in Pittsburgh, but for now she’s content to hold the popular Dogapalooza in her hometown. Carnegie dog owners have turned out en masse year after year to enjoy camraderie, a little shopping and the big parade.

“I love it. It’s a different kind of crowd, dog people,” Crawshaw said. “(Dog people) all have a bond. It’s just nice to get everyone together.”

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