26 September two very sweet dog events are taking place in different US states at once.
In New Jersey there is Pretty Puppy Pageant — a beauty contest for shelter dogs. They are photographed, brought out for a show, chosen as candidates for a calendar, and introduced to potential owners. So the main prize here is not a crown or a ribbon, but the chance to go home with a family of their own.
And in Arkansas on the same day there is WoofStock — a big dog festival with music, free microchips, and a whole program of contests.
There dogs go through obstacle courses, compete for the title of cutest, and take part in the category "funniest video", and owners can find out whether they really do come to resemble their pets over time — there is a separate contest for that "looks like its owner".
And, of course, the festival also has shelter dogs who are looking for a new home. Last year, right during WoofStock, seven dogs found families.
It makes for an almost perfect dog-holiday format:
some came for the music,
some for the obstacle course,
some to check whether they look like their dog,
and some ended up going home with a new best friend.
At Pretty Puppy Pageant in New Jersey, everything is arranged not like a strict beauty contest, but more like a big dog party where every participant can show off something of their own.
Some dogs go through an obstacle course — tunnels, small barriers, turns and agility tasks. Some race ahead with the air of an Olympic champion, some suddenly decide that the tunnel is suspicious and that the barrier can simply be gone around from the side. And, of course, there is always a participant who at the most crucial moment forgets about the competition and goes off to get acquainted with the dog next door.
There is also a contest for the cutest dog. Here everything gets really complicated, because how on earth do you choose between a dog with huge eyes, a puppy with ears sticking out in different directions, and a grown dog who simply sat down and looked at the judges very seriously?
A separate category is "funniest video". Owners show clips in which their pets steal food, wage war on a vacuum cleaner, fall asleep in impossible poses, or suddenly get scared of their own reflection. So you can take part in the contest even from home — all it takes is once accidentally filming the moment your dog decided that the couch cushion poses a threat to national security.
And one of the funniest contests is "looks like its owner".
And that is where the real magic begins.
Identical hairstyles, similar facial expressions, the same serious gaze, the same walk. Sometimes you look at a pair and realize: yes, these two clearly did not find each other by chance.
The sweetest thing about all of this is that many of the contest participants are looking for a new home.
So people come, seemingly just to watch a dog show, laugh at the contests and take a few photos…
and then suddenly go home with a leash in hand and a new family member beside them. 🐶👩🐶🧒🐶👨
And that is perhaps the best possible ending any beauty contest could have.
