It was an evening of happy wags and loud woofs at Elita Garden Vista in New Town Action Area III, as the complex witnessed its first ever pet carnival on March 5.
The carnival held behind Tower 7 and 8 was open to residents and their pooches. It drew participation from about 68 participants from breeds as varied as Indies to Golden Retrievers and Shitzus to Pugs, with even a Chow Chow making it to the mix.
They were contesting for the titles of Best Groomed, Most Obedient and Best Walk with Parent categories.
The hurdles race saw the pooches fighting the temptation to stop for the treats and toys on their path to their human parents, who kept calling out to them to keep them focused. While some pets were up to the challenge and kept running, the others preferred to stop for treats.
Participants at the pet carnival
The winners with their trophies and medals
Little Scooby was one of the naughty ones that got distracted. "He is super active and playful, always sniffing around and rarely staying at one place. He's very friendly with people and social with other dogs. He was more interested in playing with his friends than responding to our calls," said Subhajit Das, pet parent of the 23-month-old Labrador Retriever. Scooby did bag a title, that of the Naughtiest Pet.
The grooming contest had a different set of challenges. "We checked their overall coat condition, how well they are maintained, their health and hygiene, including their dental and ear hygiene," said Diptiman Sengupta of Oh My Paws, who judged the event.
The third round was based on the walk of the pets, checking their movements and how well they shadowed their human parent, reflecting their bond.
Atreyee Pal went home beaming as Tuffy, her Golden Retriever, got prizes in two categories. "Tuffy won the first prize for Walk with Parent and the second prize in grooming. The vet checked for his obesity, quality of fur and cleanliness," said Pal, who looks after her five-and-half-year-old herself. "It is no trouble. He is calm and never fidgets. I make him wear my office identity card when I am back from work," said Pal as Tuffy walked around, with his medals hanging from his neck.
New Town additional commissioner of police, Shreya Sarkar was the chief guest at the event. "This is such a nice event. The pets are having fun," she said, as she went on to explain how colours are harmful for pets, encouraging the participants to keep their pets away from them on Holi.
The cultural committee of the complex had been planning the event for about six months. "We have events for the residents but never for the fur babies. It is painful to leave our little ones at home. The entire committee wanted the event to be a success. It was great to see not just pet parents but also the other residents attend the event," said Ayan Dey, secretary of EGV Cultural Association, who is a parent to the Golden Retriever Chini.
"I have come with my father. I don't have a pet but I love playing with dogs," chirped Aaratrika Sinha, 7, from Tower 2, as she played with a pug. There were seats behind a barricade where residents scared of dogs could sit and enjoy the event without getting close to them.
The other winners included Momo, the Golden Retriever, who won the most obedient pet trophy, jointly followed by Pixie, the pug and Shinu, the Labrador. Fudge, a two-and-half year old Beagle, stood second in the Grooming category.
"Whatever Momo does, she likes to do with her family, like playing, running, sleeping... She is very possessive about us. She picks up everything that is taught," smiled the proud mom Manisha Tikadar from Tower 14.
Toby, the 21-month-old Beagle, also grabbed two trophies - the third prizes in the Most Obedient and Best Groomed categories. "Toby is a typical Bengali dog. He loves to eat Hilsa, chicken or mutton with rice. He bagged the grooming award because of his diet and his daily exercise. He walks a minimum of one hour every day - once in the morning and again in the evening. His fur and health are maintained by keeping his diet clean of any junk or harmful ingredients," said a proud pet parent Arnab Sadhukhan.
All the participating pets were given a medal and a goodie bag, including a pack of treat, a shampoo, organic floor cleaner (as pets react to chemical cleaners), squeaky toy and a pack of dry food. Veterinary surgeon Sayantan Sarkar offered a free health check-up for the pets.