Pets Aplenty at Mighty Texas Dog Walk, Easter Pet Parade This Saturday

Your best excuse for putting that zany-yet-strangely-slutty costume on your favorite pooch (this side of Halloween) comes this Saturday with back-to-back pet events along South Congress.

At 9 a.m., Texas Hearing and Service Dogs will begin its 11th Annual Mighty Texas Dog Walk at Congress Avenue bridge. The casual 3-mile stroll around downtown aims to set a new Guinness World Record for Largest Dog Walk , which used to belong to Texas but was recently re-upped by some dastardly Brits (Current record: 10,272 dogs). Registration is available during the morning of the event (7 to 9 a.m.), and costs $30 per dog. BYO human. Naturally, proceeds benefit the non-profit organization, which trains service dogs and hearing dogs to assist those with disabilities.

Shortly thereafter, there's another pet parade taking place just down the street, over at Hotel San Jose and Jo's Coffee. Their 10th Annual Easter Pet Parade—beyond giving us an excuse to post the photo (see right) of Claude, a French Bulldog sporting a Bjork Swan costume—benefits the Animal Trustees of Austin Wellness Clinic and serves as a tribute to the late Lyndon Lambert, a notable animal lover and co-owner of SF-based pet products purveyor GEORGE. This one starts at noon sharp, and registration is $10 in advance (pre-register at Jo's or Austin Pet's Alive at Congress and Gibson) or $15 day of. A panel of experts steeped in the art of animal costumewear will be handing out swanky prizes for Best Dressed Pets.