Dogs in Wellington: Pooches in the Plaza
Pooches in the Plaza took place on Sunday at Odlins Plaza as part of the Wellington Pride Festival. It was a time for doggos and their owners to gather and for some to get up on stage and participate in the competition.
The atmosphere was incredible! There was so many pups, plenty of laughter, and an engaged crowd that supported all the participating dogs. I felt very lucky to be there, photographing throughout the event, and of course getting a lot of cuddles and kisses along the way.
Pooches in the Plaza centred around the stage (or “dogwalk” as you may), where dogs and their owners took to the stage in front of the adoring crowd to try and win various categories. There were a few categories to enter – Best Groomed, Best Trick, Best Dog and Owner Lookalike, and an Overall Winner decided by People’s Choice at the end.
Before the on-stage competition begun, one of the first dogs I made a beeline for was Mango, a rough collie. Given collies aren’t something you come across often and we have Fin the Collie at home, I was particularly excited to meet him. At just one year old, he was beautifully groomed, sat beautifully for a photo and gave me lots of cuddles and kisses. Mango went up on stage multiple times and took out Best Groomed, which felt very fitting.
The Best Trick category had some great moments too. Sprocket showed off a high five, a vizsla (whose name I didn’t quite catch) danced before jumping up to touch her owner’s hand with all four paws off the ground, and Fargo ran through multiple tricks, including howling on command and jumping through a hoop made from his owner’s arms. There was also a special appearance from Paddy the Wanderer, brought to life by Wellington Museum, who joined in to show off a few tricks of his own. However, the vizsla understandably took out the win for her dancing routine.
For those who don’t know, Paddy the Wanderer was a real dog – a ginger and brown Airedale terrier who became something of a local celebrity around Wellington in the 1930s. After originally belonging to a young girl, he ended up roaming the waterfront and was informally “adopted” by the community. Wharf workers, taxi drivers, and locals all looked out for him, even helping to pay his dog licence. He became a familiar sight riding trams, hopping into taxis, and even travelling by sea and air – including a flight in a Gypsy Moth biplane. By the time he passed, he was so well loved that tributes were shared on radio and in newspapers, and today he’s still remembered with a memorial drinking fountain near Queen’s Wharf and a statue at Wellington Museum.
Best Dog and Owner Lookalike brought lots of laughs from the crowd. Some standouts included Puffin, a black lab cross, who shared an all-black outfit and a spiked silver collar with her owner, Fargo and his owner in coordinated pineapple t-shirt and bib, and a black pug whose owner carried a matching pink balloon. Puffin and her owner won this category.
At the end, all the dogs gathered at the front for People’s Choice, with the crowd cheering for their favourite. It was a close call, especially between Mango and Fargo, but Fargo ultimately took out the Supreme Award for Best in Show. As a bonus, all participants from Pooches in the Plaza also received a stuffed toy of Paddy the Wanderer to take home.
It was a genuinely enjoyable event – lots of laughter, a huge range of dogs, and a really strong sense of community. I also spotted some familiar faces, including Madrone, the cover girl from the Paws Project calendar!
Thank you to everyone who came over for a chat, introduced their dog, or let me photograph their pup. Events like Pooches in the Plaza are such a good reminder of just how special the dogs in Wellington community is. 🐾
