‘Strut your Mutt’ canine parade enchants a special group of seniors

Edmonds City Councilmember Will Chen (carefully standing downwind) presented the first-place award to Max, dressed as a skunk.
Manya Vee present the second-place ribbon to Minnie, who was a hit in her Hawaiian shirt.
Edmonds Municipal Court’s Whitney Rivera presents the third-place ribbon to Honeybee, dressed as Spiderman.

As part of its efforts to engage the community and provide life-enriching experiences for its residents, Cogir Assisted Living of Edmonds sponsored the first annual “Strut Your Mutt” canine parade on Saturday morning.

“We’re relatively new in the Edmonds community,” explained Jennifer Angell, Cogir’s community relations director. “We strive to keep our residents happy and engaged, and part of this means reaching out to our local community and including them in our events and activities.”

Minnie in her Hawaiian shirt.

For the Strut Your Mutt parade, Cogir invited pet owners to dress up their dogs and vie for a series of prizes, with the winners determined by a group of panelists drawn from the community. They included Edmonds Municipal Court’s Whitney Rivera, Edmonds City Councilmember Will Chen, Oasis Senior Housing Advisor Steve Mason, Maje Gallery owner Manya Vee, and South County Fire Paramedic Janette Anderson.

The panel was drawn from the community and comprised (L to R) Manya Vee, Whitney Rivera, Will Chen, Janette Anderson and Steve Mason.

Pet owners walked their dogs down a red carpet with the panelists on one side and a bevy of Cogir residents eager to enjoy the fun on the other. After the winners were announced, residents had a chance to get up close and personal with the canine competitors, which elicited many smiles, laughs and warm encounters.

After the winners were announced, residents were able to visit with the canine contestants.

“And this is what it’s all about,” observed Angell. “By bringing the community and our residents together, everyone’s lives are enriched.”

More Cogir community events are in the pipeline. Next up is a community car show set for Sept. 9, when local car fanciers will bring their prize vehicles to Cogir to share with residents and others from the community.

— Story and photos by Larry Vogel

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