BARC’s 18th Annual Dog Show and Parade
On a beautiful Sunday September afternoon hundreds of dogs with their dog owners were lined up along sunny Wythe Avenue straining against their leashes. In its 18th year, the annual dog show and parade hosted by the Brooklyn Animal Resource Coalition (BARC) in Williamsburg attracted dog owners and dog lovers from all over the city. The dog owners sported chaps and cowboy hats, as did their costumed canines in following with this year’s “Wild Wow West” theme. Equally atmospheric were the wrangler inspired floats created by local artists. One of the favorite floats of the day was a giant paper mache dog dressed like a cow girl, towed from BARC’s headquarters on North 1st and Wythe Avenue all the way to McCarren Park.
Following the pack were the energetic Wushu martial arts students and the glittery-topped Miss Williamsburg who waved from a vintage Sunbeam convertible. Spectators joined in, including Phillip Petrowski, an academic 10 year-old boy with an encyclopedia in hand. “I want to learn as much as I can about particular dogs,” said Phillip. “I want to see which ones would be suitable for me”. He could easily test the waters in this highly social environment and indeed headed off to work his charm on one of the pugs.
The “Hungry March Band” sounded the way from Bedford Avenue into McCarren Park for the event’s always popular dog show, where pets vied for titles such as “best kisser” and “owner look-alike.” Wildly leaping after soapy bubbles blown through a plastic wand, “J.J.” and “Charlie” took “best trick”. Between contests, Lex Gray and the Urban Pioneers transformed the slightly muddy grasses into a scene out of Woodstock, complete with folk rock tunes about of course, none other than man’s best friend.
The event highlighted the boundless and reciprocal affection between dogs and their owners, which was apparent as they frolicked all day in sunny McCarren Park. BARC volunteer Alice Chew appreciates the uninstitutional vibe of the shelter and sees her work go a long way towards creatures that “require only some food and a little company”. She likes working directly with the shelter’s animals, helping out with dog walking or kennel cleaning, and mentions how friendly and appreciative the former strays are in return. Ms. Chew pitched in for the parade with her work on the “Viva Rat Dog” float, which pays homage to a beloved Chihuahua kindly called Rat Dog, a long-standing fixture around the shelter that recently passed away. As if reflecting on a legend, her co-volunteer Jenny Brown recalls that he was very ugly, “a hairless dog with a bloated stomach and cataracts, but everyone loved him”.
BARC officially started in 1987 when the shelter emerged as a work in progress. Back then the shelter space doubled as a town hall, food pantry, and civilian patrol headquarters; when Williamsburg was not the fashionable, Bohemian enclave it is today. Through the help of dedicated volunteers, well organized events and private funding, the non-profit, no-kill shelter has successfully focused its energy towards the adoption of healthy cats and dogs, also running a supply store and clinic. The shelter only recently received its first public funding, a $50,000 state grant, which was announced during the festivities by District 50 Assemblyman Joseph Lentol.
The shelter is quickly gaining renown from dog enthusiasts everywhere. Queens native Paulina Bitetto, whose blue bandanna matched that of her all American Ridgeback, didn’t have trouble outfitting “Rudy” though it was her first time at the event. She had already dressed the dog for Halloween, among other events, and clearly valued the opportunity to socialize again with other owners.
This relationship among dog lovers is somewhat unique according to BARC’s Vice President Vinny Spinola. Dog owners in particular “like to talk about their animals, how it has kept them sane”, he jokes. And this eagerness is in turn the seed for the shelter’s social events. Accounting for the incredible efforts among participants, Spinola points out that his best friend Fido, true to its name, is always there, even “when you wake up and look like hell”. And by the same token, BARC continues to offer a place for homeless dogs and cats, even those as homely as the cherished BARC “unofficial” mascot, Rat Dog.
