True 'Party Animals' At Fantasy Fest Pet Masquerade
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KEY WEST (CBSMiami/FKNB) — Revelers at the annual Fantasy Fest in Key West had a dog-gone good time at the offbeat competition for pets and their owners.
The animal antics were a highlight of the island's 10-day Fantasy Fest costuming and masking festival, themed "All Hallows Intergalactic Freak Show," that continues through Sunday.
Dogs, cats, a hedgehog, a rooster and even a sloth dressed as a jail inmate starred in the competition staged at the Waldorf Astoria Casa Marina that attracted some 1,000 spectators.
The contest featured more than 50 entries ranging from costumed pet-and-person duos to groups of people and animals staging lighthearted skits or dance numbers.
Entries included two Chihuahuas dressed as silver-suited spacemen, a Dalmatian whose "look-alike" owner pedaled a bicycle portraying a fire engine and a Labrador retriever wearing a faux lion's mane who with his owner protested the killing of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe.
GALLERY: THIS FANTASY FEST COSTUME CONTEST IS PET-TACULAR
Pet Masquerade proceeds benefited the Lower Keys Friends of Animals.
The Fantasy Fest celebration runs through Sunday.
Upcoming Fantasy Fest events include a lavish Headdress Ball, a masquerade march through Key West's historic district and Saturday night's flamboyant 3Wishes.com Fantasy Fest Parade that typically attracts some 60,000 revelers.
Florida Keys tourism officials say hotel rooms are still available for the festival, but stressed that reservations are necessary to ensure accommodations.
(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Florida Keys News Bureau contributed to this report.)
