Pets transformed for costume contest

link Staff photo: Joshua Lucero

Clovis’ Mia Chavez stands with her donkey, Radar, during the costume judging at the Clovis-Portales Kennel Club’s pet costume contest Tuesday evening at the Curry County Fair. Chavez said she spent the entire afternoon painting and preparing Radar to look like a unicorn for the contest.

For Mia Chavez, 11, competing in the Clovis-Portales Kennel Club pet costume contest was a chance to combine her creativity with something she loves.

Chavez, with the help of her grandparents, transformed her 10-year-old donkey named Radar into a show ready unicorn for Tuesday evening’s pet costume contest.

Charlene Eshleman said her granddaughter loves unicorns and spent months preparing her costume idea. Chavez even modified one of her mother’s dresses to wear during the contest, Eshleman said.

Chavez’s hard work paid off with a first place prize.

“We just heard about it last year and she (Chavez) decided she wanted to enter Radar as a unicorn.” said Eshleman.

“I was really excited that I won.” said Chavez.

Chavez said she spent all afternoon Tuesday painting Radar for the contest.

“It was fun getting ready and figuring out a costume.” Chavez said.

Chavez’s donkey beat out four dogs.

Aleigh Weese of Melrose said she found out about the contest through one of the kennel club’s puppy classes and decided to dress up her dogs for the competition.

Weese dressed her dog Boomer as a bee and her dog Everlee as a butterfly.

Weese said she made her dogs costumes herself using fabric and hot glue.

“I just thought they’d be cute that way.” Weese said.

Weese’s dogs earned second.

Melrose’s Sharon Null also entered her dog Skeeter as a king along with her friend Patsy Liston’s dog Ellie Mae dressed as a queen.

The pair won third place.

Null said that friends always said Ellie Mae acts like a queen and thought it was fitting to enter the dogs as royalty.

Null said the most difficult part of preparing the dogs for the contest was keeping the crowns they made on the dogs.

“It’s just something different to do,” said Null, “I started doing it to support the club.”

Clovis-Portales Kennel Club secretary Jaqque Johnson said the club had a similar turn out for the previous year’s contest.

Johnson said she hopes to see more animals in costumes at next year’s competition.