STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Announce a Pet Parade for a Sunday afternoon on the Midland Beach promenade and they will come — dogs of all breeds and ages, from 11-year-old rescues like Molly, a sweet bichon from Pleasant Plains, to Zook, a blue-eyed, gray-coated American Staffordshire terrier, not yet 5 months old, from Charleston.
The Sunday afternoon event — part of the ongoing summer Staten Island Beach Fest — brought together super-friendly dog owners from all over the borough, and one of the most notable things about it was the overwhelming number of rescue dogs in attendance.
Leticia Remauro of the Von Public Relations Agency was there with Sophie, 3, her black Labrador retriever-chow mix.
“We rescued her from a rescuer,” said Remauro. “She’s a good girl, and July 20 was her birthday. This is the first time she’s been to the beach.”
Grant City resident Kerry Weeks arrived with Tally, an 18-month-old tan-coated dachshund-beagle mix that the family rescued from South Carolina at 4 months old. Tally was colorfully dressed “as a taco,” Weeks said. “Just look at her!”
Elegantly dressed Lola, 5, another rescue, was found in Brooklyn. “I got her two years ago — she’s the best dog ever,” said owner Maria Feld, of Dongan Hills.
Midland Beach resident Nicky Delapi showed up with Bella Mavis, 11, his companion since she was 6 months old. “She’s a great dog, smart and playful. And she’s wearing her best summer dress,” he pointed out.
Arriving from Pleasant Plains with a trio of females was Jose Acevedo. “One of them was rescued from the shelter on Arthur Kill Road,” he explained. “The other two we adopted after the owners died. They’re all good dogs.”
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The oldest, Evy, is an 11-year-old bichon. White-coated Nicci, 4, is a Maltese-poodle mix. The youngest of the trio — gray-coated Molly, 3 — is a Yorkshire terrier-poodle mix.
PEANUT, THE ‘CELEBRITY’
State Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis was there with her beloved Peanut, a 10-year-old Chihuahua — weighing in at around 7 pounds — that she adopted when he was about a year old.
“I bring him to Albany with me for Animal Advocacy Day,” she said. “He’s very quiet in a big crowd but at home he’s a rascal.”
And on Staten Island, “Peanut is a little bit of a celebrity, a little bit of a rock star,” Malliotakis said, explaining that she brings him along to some local events and many residents know her little dog by name.
The youngest dog we met was 4-month-old, blue-eyed Zook, who came in the company of owners Melissa and Tom Hawkins from Charleston on the South Shore.
Zook is a pure-bred American Staffordshire terrier from a breeder in Maryland, but with a difference. He’s a “Bully Pocket” pit bull, meaning that he will not weigh more than 45 to 50 pounds when full grown, Hawkins explained.
Dr. Rodney Jerger of the Dongan Hills Veterinary Practice also attended the event and discussed pet care.
The Staten Island Beach Fest is presented by the Staten Island Yankees, and sponsored by Mort & Ray Productions. The ongoing summer festival is produced by The Von Agency, Inc. Public Relations, with the goal of attracting visitors to the Island’s East Shore waterfront to enjoy the all the improvements since Hurricane Sandy.
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