Rio carnival goes to pet dogs at canine party
Source: Agencies |
February 5, 2013, Tuesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
THE crowd at the Blocao Carnival street party was a decidedly mixed one. Roughly half the revelers were humans, the other half dogs, though the canine contingent was unquestionably the better dressed of the two.
Several hundred revelers of dogs and owners turned out on Sunday for the 11th edition of the Blocao, the most animal friendly of the nearly 500 "blocos," or raucous, heavy-drinking street parties that stop traffic during Rio de Janeiro's Carnival festivities.
Pet owners in flip flops and cutoff shorts and T-shirts paraded down Copacabana beach with packs of pooches sporting smart neckties, pink tutus, jester hats, dashing tuxes fitted with satin capes, and a myriad of other get-ups for four-legged partiers.
The crowd shimmied and wagged, sniffed and sambaed as dogs and owners grooved to a thumping soundtrack of traditional Carnival songs that emanated from the sound truck, itself dressed up as a dog, with a giant blowup black terrier attached to the front.
"I don't usually like blocos for myself, but she's loving it," said Angelica Nieva, the proud owner of a year-old poodle-Yorkie mix, Belinha, dressed in a flowing white wedding gown and demure veil. "She's having the time of her life."
Asked whether the apricot-coated mutt had met any potential suitors to whisk her down the aisle in her immaculate white dress, Nieva replied, "there's nothing serious yet, but we've got a couple of good candidates lined up."
Although Cica is a Blocao veteran, the party never fails to delight the 10-year-old mini-Pinscher, dressed up for the occasion as a Hawaiian in a tangle of green tinsel, her owner Sonia Rainho said.
"I'm too old for blocos, and to be honest Cica is too, but it wouldn't be Carnival without the Blocao," said the 78-year-old.
Among the dogs, the atmosphere was nothing less than cordial. Hardly a snarl was heard. Tails wagged nonstop.
Several hundred revelers of dogs and owners turned out on Sunday for the 11th edition of the Blocao, the most animal friendly of the nearly 500 "blocos," or raucous, heavy-drinking street parties that stop traffic during Rio de Janeiro's Carnival festivities.
Pet owners in flip flops and cutoff shorts and T-shirts paraded down Copacabana beach with packs of pooches sporting smart neckties, pink tutus, jester hats, dashing tuxes fitted with satin capes, and a myriad of other get-ups for four-legged partiers.
The crowd shimmied and wagged, sniffed and sambaed as dogs and owners grooved to a thumping soundtrack of traditional Carnival songs that emanated from the sound truck, itself dressed up as a dog, with a giant blowup black terrier attached to the front.
"I don't usually like blocos for myself, but she's loving it," said Angelica Nieva, the proud owner of a year-old poodle-Yorkie mix, Belinha, dressed in a flowing white wedding gown and demure veil. "She's having the time of her life."
Asked whether the apricot-coated mutt had met any potential suitors to whisk her down the aisle in her immaculate white dress, Nieva replied, "there's nothing serious yet, but we've got a couple of good candidates lined up."
Although Cica is a Blocao veteran, the party never fails to delight the 10-year-old mini-Pinscher, dressed up for the occasion as a Hawaiian in a tangle of green tinsel, her owner Sonia Rainho said.
"I'm too old for blocos, and to be honest Cica is too, but it wouldn't be Carnival without the Blocao," said the 78-year-old.
Among the dogs, the atmosphere was nothing less than cordial. Hardly a snarl was heard. Tails wagged nonstop.
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