By David Vitrano

LAPLACE – With unbelievably pleasant weather conditions over the weekend, local residents had a variety of entertainment options at their disposal. One of the best of these had to be spending the afternoon at Highway 51 Park in LaPlace with man’s best friend.

The second Pups in the Park Walk was held Saturday, and an enthusiastic group of canine lovers came together to enjoy the day’s festivities. According to Bill Ironside, who helped organize the event for the Rotary Club of LaPlace, about 100 dogs registered for the walk. Although he said he hoped to get double that number, he was pleased with the turnout and the atmosphere.

“We had more entries than we had last year. Good turnout,” said Ironside. “The setup is better this year,” he added.

Many who attended last year’s event returned the second time around. Greg and Laurie Lassiter, owners of Crimson and Bardog, said, “We’ve been here both years. It’s very good. It promotes the parish. It promotes the animals. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Another repeat attendee, Judy Roccaforte, owner of ugliest dog contest winner JoJo, echoed their sentiments.

“It’s a good thing to come out to. It’s a good cause,” she said.

For a $10 entry fees, dogs and their owners could take part in the walk. An additional $10 could gain the pooches entry into any one of the event’s contests. Also, for a buck, owners could let their dogs try to navigate the obstacle course.

Ironside said the event raised about $5,000 — almost double what was raised last year. The money will be divided among various animal groups as well as Rotary charities. He said he has been urged by some to advertise the event to a wider area, but he likes keeping the event locally focused.

“We wanted this to be an event for St. John Parish,” he said.

The event was organized by the Rotary Club and sponsored by local businesses and individuals, including St. John Enterprises, RTC, Louisiana Federal Credit Union Bull’s Corner, Bill and Sherry Hubbard and Savoie Consultants, to name a few.

Winners of the various contests were: costume – Mario (owner Denise Nosacka); cutest – Ellie Mae (owner Denise Nosacka); talent – Deesol (owner Bobby Mizell); and ugliest – JoJo (owner Judy Roccaforte).