A Mardi Gras "Tail"

The annual Barkus parade lets New Orleans canines strut their stuff.

Although Mardi Gras is a time when barriers of propriety come down, New Orleanians will still frown on blatant anti-social behavior during Carnival. Nevertheless, there is one Mardi Gras parade where it’s perfectly acceptable for the krewe’s royalty to crash out drooling and where sniffing a derrière is an acceptable form of greeting.

Comprised entirely of canines–except for a few felines and the odd ferret or two– the Mystic Krewe of Barkus is this krewe. (Krewe is the term for a Mardi Gras organization.) On the afternoon two Sundays before Fat Tuesday, dogs dressed in costume are led through the streets of the French Quarter while the dogs’ owners, often dressed in matching costumes, toss out beads and wave to the family-friendly crowd. The organization’s name is a reference to the Krewe of Bacchus, the extravagant parade named after the Roman god of wine that rolls a week later.

Quickly growing since it began in 1992, Barkus changes its theme from year to year. Past themes have been the Wizard of Paws, Jurassic Bark, and Tails from the Crypt. The route stays the same, however, always starting and ending in Armstrong Park after making a loop through the French Quarter.

The krewe was founded by Tom Wood who owns several gay establishments in New Orleans through his company Wood Enterprises. While people and dogs of all backgrounds and sexual orientations participate (including hundreds of neutered animals), the parade has a particularly strong following in the gay and lesbian community. The VIP viewing stand is at Good Friends Bar, a neighborhood Quarter gay bar, and it’s often more accurate to say pets are dressed in drag than simply in costume.

In addition to the parade, Barkus also hosts a coronation ball. Proceeds raised by the organization go to animal welfare charities, and the krewe’s queen is always an adopted or rescued female dog.

For more information, visit www.barkus.org.