Pets Put On The Ritz Sandpoint’S Annual Winter Festival Has Dogs Styling In Hand-Me-Downs

There’s nothing like a dog dressed in hand-me-downs from a 12-year-old to start off a pet show.

Mokie, a border collie and chow mix, pranced up to the Burger King in Sandpoint Sunday afternoon wearing a hooded sweater that doubled as a leash and white pants with a hole conveniently cut out for her wagging tail.

Mokie and his 12-year-old owner Alyssa Nielson of Sandpoint were one of the first of 12 entries in the third-annual Winter Carnival pet show at the local Burger King.

The first year, only about six pets and their owners entered the contest, said Erika Price, coordinator of the show and a manager at Burger King. Last year, 10 came.

“We just made them all winners,” said Price, who gave the winners free meals.

This year, she hoped for enough contestants for several categories like best dressed dog, best dressed cat, or most unusual pet, she said.

“Somebody said they’re bringing their guinea pigs” in costumes, she said. “That ought to be pretty cute.”

The guinea pigs didn’t show; Price said it may have been because of a steady rain on Sunday.

Six-year-old Chelsea Thorp of Ponderay brought an un-costumed Pomeranian named Joey, whom she likes “’cause he’s so small,” she said.

Kendra and Lila Fisher of Bonners Ferry, who are 6 and 2 respectively, brought a Yorkshire terrier named Maggie. The dog wore a pink lacy dress - an Easter dress Lila had outgrown - and a pink ribbon atop her head that matched the pigtail Lila wore on the top of her own head.

The winners will be announced today.

The weather didn’t cooperate with the other plans Sandpoint had for its winter carnival Sunday.

Temperatures that hovered just above freezing left Sand Creek with ice only a few feet out from its banks. That prevented an old-fashioned ice skating party and a broom hockey competition near Starbuck’s and the Powerhouse Bar and Grill. An ice sculpture contest in the Wal-Mart parking lot was canceled.

However, the previous events of the week - contests to be Mr. or Ms. Winter Carnival, the Taste of Sandpoint with 16 food booths and the Sandpoint High School band playing, a parade of lights through downtown, a chili cook-off, winter games at Schweitzer Mountain, wine tastings and others - were very popular, said Barbara Peterson, a member of the carnival committee.

The 30 contestants in a fudge contest sold their candy to benefit the Panhandle Animal Shelter and ran out two hours before the competition was scheduled to end, said Peterson. She won the event with chocolate walnut fudge with caramel syrup.