Best pup-and-person prize rewards Haley Hees, with pugs Mochi and Lola. Best overall award goes to Labradors Ari, Koda and Addie. Owners are Charles and Angela Reinold.

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Pet owners put on the dog at the Paws and Petals fest held Saturday, May 30, in Carmichael Park.

Canines displayed obedience skills and paraded for prizes during the meet up. Funds raised will aid improvements for park dog enclosures.

Sac Metro Fire Captain Trevor Gordon and support dog Birdie enjoy paws-on browsing at Carmichael Recreation and Park District Administrator Stacey Yankee’s soap and balm booth.

More than 20 parent-and-pooch duos dressed in theme with spring. Two pugs in crinolines were a picture of garden grace. A Labrador trio sported elaborate petalled ruffs. A chihuahua and mistress were winged butterflies. An English Staffordshire bloomed in sunflower hues. A Welsh corgi modelled a Easter bonnet.

Activities included a musical sits contest where contestants circled on leash, sitting on command when music stopped. To great applause, Susie Boucher’s Labradoodle Oliver nailed the final sit. “He’s been training for years,” she conceded. “Well, he’s just been training to be our very good boy.”

In harmony with the spring theme, Cookie Gonzales dresses Staffordshire bull terrier Zoe in floral motifs

Vendors offered canine fashions and treats. A doggie balm blended from calendula-infused olive oil, vitamin E and beeswax was a strong-seller. “It soothes noses and pads of feet,” noted vendor Stacey Yankee. “It’s okay for pets to lick and it’s also beneficial for abrasions. My dogs love it. So does my husband.”

A many-legged walkathon ended the festival. “We circled the area for 10 minutes,” reported Carmichael Parks Foundation President Rosie Buck. “Everybody was tired from the excitement – but very well-behaved. The owners were, too. The only barks we heard all morning were happy barks.”

Event sponsors included; Carmichael Parks Foundation; Carmichael Recreation and Park District; Buck Family Automotive; All Stage Canine Development; Kerri Mandes Fitness; McElroy’s Repair; Crème Brulée Goldens.

A doggie walkathon parades obedient pets and owners. The event was a fundraiser for dog park improvements.