Decked out in a Harley Davidson leather cap and dark sunglasses, Dillon looked like one cool dude.
A little furrier than most motorcycle enthusiasts, but cool nonetheless.
Dillon is a 3-year-old Yorkshire terrier. With his owner, Sherri Huff, in tow, he turned quite a few heads at the eighth annual Pet Expo, held yesterday at The Showplace.
"He loves to get dressed up," said Huff, who traveled from Ruckersville, about two hours west of Richmond, to attend the event. "It's fun. It's just like having children."
Huff brought her nine Yorkies to the annual fundraiser for the Henrico Humane Society. About 2,800 people attended the event, which featured costume contests, puppy races, obedience demonstrations, canine massage, animal adoptions and ferret contests.
Thirty dogs, including Dillon, participated in a dog fashion show. For the special occasion, Dillon donned a tank top with the word "Heartbreaker" across the back. A heart with an arrow through the middle filled out the shirt.
"He can dress himself," Huff said proudly. Sure enough, Dillon expertly ducked his head into the shirt, then placed his front paws through the armholes.
He wasn't the only dog strutting his stuff down the catwalk -- make that dogwalk.
"I just love dressing up my dog," said 10-year-old Haley Eiler as she examined the grass skirt, flower lei and well-placed coconut shells on her dog, Mia. "She just sits there when I do it. She doesn't even try to take it off."
Other dog owners chose top hats with feathers, sequined tops, cow costumes, fur-lined sweaters, bandanas, fatigues, tutus and dresses for their dogs.
"We dress ours out of necessity," said Judy Parker, who along with her son, Michael, owns 6-year-old Scarlett O'Hairless, a Chinese crested, a hairless dog who stays warm by wearing handmade fleece jackets, sweaters and hats. "We do it to keep her warm."
To store her 200 outfits, the Parkers bought the dog her own dresser -- from Ethan Allen.
"She's a little spoiled," said Judy Parker of Chesterfield County.
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