On New Year’s Day, dog lovers who tune in to the 135th Tournament of Roses Parade will be floating on Cloud Nine when they spot a float that promotes pet adoption!
The floral forms of both dogs and cats will be prominently featured on Pasadena Humane‘s parade entry, “Feed The Love.”
Made in partnership with float sponsor Hill’s Pet Nutrition, the 55-foot float will consist of kittens cavorting in a cat tree and canines clothed in “Adopt Me” bandanas.
The float, to be built by Artistic Entertainment Services, will be constructed of strawflower petals, great Ming and Spanish moss and a sprinkling of onion, poppy and sesame seeds. The float will spread the message of adoption along the five-and-a-half mile parade route.
The flower-crafted creations will be joined on the float by several actual dogs and Doctors Vernard Hodges and Terrence Ferguson, stars of Nat Geo Wild’s Critter Fixers: Country Vets.
They’ll be joined by Pasadena Humane’s President and CEO Dia Duvernet, the head of Hill’s Pet Nutrition’s Food, Shelter & Love program Joann Fuller, and volunteers and staff from both organizations.
“Pasadena Humane is honored to have a float in the 135th Rose Parade, our first in 20 years. Along with our generous float sponsor, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, we hope to inspire viewers across the country to adopt their next best friend,” said Pasadena Humane’s DuVernet.
“Our 2024 float will mark the continuation of more than a century of our organization’s involvement with the Rose Parade, both as a participant and in our behind-the-scenes role of ensuring the safety of all animals in the parade.”
1910: Pasadena Humane’s First Parade Entry
Although 2024 will mark the first time in the past 20 years that Pasadena Humane has been represented in the Tournament of Roses Parade, the association between the animal shelter/animal resource center and the parade dates all the way back to 1910. In that year, the humane society’s horse-drawn, flower-bedecked “Animal Ambulance” made its way along the parade route.
The 1910 pictorial published by the Pasadena Star at the time reported, “It was garlanded with smilax and further decorated with clusters of papyrus by members of the society who felt justly proud of the ambulance, having obtained it after much effort on their part.”
Want to Help?
You can volunteer to help decorate the float with a shift at the Float Barn at Rosemont Pavilion. Follow Pasadena Humane (@pasadenahumane) on social media to learn more.
Want to See the Parade in Person?
Pasadena Humane is hosting a special VIP Rose Parade Viewing Party from the Rose Parade Suite & Terrace at the Pasadena Hotel & Pool.
Tickets include parking, a breakfast buffet and bar and commemorative Rose Parade swag.
How to Watch on TV
The Tournament of Roses Parade airs Jan. 1, 2024 at 8 AM PST on ABC, NBC and Peacock.
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Top Image: Deposit Photos; rendering: Pasadena Tournament of Roses
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