[PenniesMom]

SPRINGFIELD — Penny and Jasper, two Yorkshire terriers, seemed to enjoy stepping out as Cinderella and Prince Charming at the PetFest at Lively Park — part of Springfield’s Summer­Fest celebration on Saturday.
But those crowns. What a royal pain!
Penny ducked her head and tried to dislodge her silver tiara with her tiny front paws. Jasper’s human, Christine Schneiderman, took pity on him after his gold crown slipped, becoming a blindfold, and let it hang around his neck like a bib.
Ah, the humiliations cute-as-a-button pets have to endure. But it was worth it. Penny and Jasper tied for first place in the small-dog costume contest, taking home doggie gift baskets brimming with treats and toys.
“There’s even a toothbrush,” Penny’s human, Rachael Cronin, exclaimed.
Cronin also brought her wee 11-week-old Yorkie, Sissy, who didn’t dress up — and didn’t need to to attract plenty of attention.
She’s so small, “nothing fit her,” Cronin said.
Friends Cronin and Schneiderman, who met through an Internet Yorkie chat Web site and later discovered that they lived three blocks apart, were among the thousands who so far have taken part in this year’s celebration.