Wet weather early Friday didn’t stop the pets and their owners from heading out to the annual Bend Pet Parade. Dogs, chickens, horses, turtles, reptiles, a kangaroo and a cat adorned in red, white and blue flooded the streets of downtown Bend to kick off the Independence Day festivities.

The pet parade has been a Bend tradition for over a century. The sound of cars was replaced with barks and jangles from dog collars. Scooters, wagons, roller skates and bikes along the route, avoiding tangled leashes while dog walkers supervised their festive four-legged friends. Spectators crowded the edge of the sidewalks, snapping photos of panting dogs and waving to the proud pet owners.

“The parade brings alive the old town spirit of Bend,” said Michael Egging, recreation manager for Bend Park and Recreation. “It’s a place where any member of the community can come together and enjoy.”

Randy and Jan Welsh have been participating in the parade for seven years. Their three retrievers, Butter, Grace and Izzy, were decked out in sparkly capes and festive tutus. While the parade is exciting for the retrievers, it is also an important training opportunity, Jan Welsh said. Izzy is a certified therapy dog, and Butter is currently training to join her. Izzy works on the emergency floor at St. Charles Bend, where she provides comfort to patients, doctors and nurses.

“Sometimes people just need to be around a dog,” Jan Welsh said. “It’s so rewarding.”

For some, this year marks their first time participating in the iconic parade. Kendra Berner and Andres Lazaro, along with their two dogs, Bolt and Monti, have been road-tripping from Florida across the country. While they have only been in Bend for a week, they said the pet parade has “definitely been a highlight.”

“We looked it up and said ‘we have to go,’” Berner said.

After the big and small dogs made their debut, a small crowd of protesters with homemade signs chanted, “Out of the window sills- into the streets!” Their signs read “Let cats parade,” “My cat identifies as a dog” and “End the ‘paw-tisan’ divide.” The crowd cheered them on as they protested the parade’s “no cats” policy.

Tracy Miller and her cat Pooter were among the group of protesters. This year was Pooter’s third pet parade, despite being technically not allowed to participate. Although Miller said she strongly believes cats should be allowed in the parade, the protest is all fun and games.

“It’s meant to be a fun, silly thing,” Miller said. “I just like to see people smiling as we walk by.”
Bringing up the back of the parade was the “Odds and Ends” category. Snakes, chickens, turtles, horses, ducks, lizards and a small kangaroo all made up the end of the parade. Spectators pointed in surprise to the “odd” animals while their owners waved and smiled.

Among those animals was a small turtle named Peanut. He sat in a wagon with a small hat. His owner, 7-year-old Ruby, said he was celebrating his birthday at the parade.

Along with Peanut, was Rachel Shaver’s black and white tegu lizard, Aarya. Aarya sat comfortably in Shaver’s arms with a dark purple collar contrasting her black and white scales. A near constant crowd surrounded Shaver and Aarya as curious hands gently petted her scales.

“She loves people,” Shaver said. “This section of the parade really encapsulates how pet-friendly Bend is.”

Bend’s annual pet parade continues to reflect the city’s appreciation for tradition and community as people and pets alike can come together to celebrate Independence Day.