Great Danes will converge on Ida

Kasey Dorr, Davis Young, and Kim Stoianow- ski, from left, show off their Great Danes. Ms. Stoianowski says of Holiday Hounds on Parade, 'I tell people, if you want to see what it feels like to be a celebrity, come to this event. You turn the corner on the parade route and cameras start flashing. People just go crazy for the Danes.' THE BLADE/JEREMY WADSWORTH Enlarge | Photo Reprints

IDA, Mich. -- Great Danes from four states are expected to gather at the Holiday Hounds on Parade, one of the attractions of the annual Christmas in Ida Festival on Dec. 3.

Besides the 2 p.m. dog parade, many owners plan to stick around to attend the 7 p.m. Parade of Lights, said Kim Stoianowski. The Toledo resident has been getting the word out among Dane owners in Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois and expects about 50 representatives of the American Kennel Club's most giant dog breed.

Mrs. Stoianowski and her Great Dane Tressel -- named for former Ohio State University football coach Jim Tressel -- have participated the previous two years.

"I tell people, if you want to see what it feels like to be a celebrity, come to this event," she said. "You turn the corner on the parade route and cameras start flashing. People just go crazy for the Danes."

The festival attracts about 32,000 attendees, according to organizers.

No one seems intimidated by the dogs' large size, Mrs. Stoianowski said -- perhaps in part because, despite their size, Great Danes are very mild-mannered.

"I think they remind people of small horses," Mrs. Stoianowksi said, adding, "It's hard to find a Dane that's not friendly."

The American Kennel Club says the minimum weight for a Great Dane over eighteen months is 120 pounds for males and 100 pounds for females. The minimum height for males is 30 inches from paw to shoulder at the shoulders and 28 inches for females, although the current world record holder measures a very pony-like 43 inches.

Some of the Dane owners who plan to attend are members of "Meetup" groups based in Toledo, Warren and Grand Rapids, Mich., and Indiana. Others share their love of the breed on Facebook at the "Dane Yard" group page or through Ohio Great Dane Rescue, which works to rehome Danes who have been turned out of their homes.

As of last week, Dane owners had registered for the parade from as far away as Chicago and Traverse City, Mich., as well as Mount Pleasant, Mich., and Columbus, Cleveland and Elyria, Ohio, Mrs. Stoianowski said.

During the Danes' first year of participation two years ago, only Danes from the Toledo Dane Meetup and Ohio Great Dane Rescue participated.

"The crowd was so responsive that the parade organizers contacted us specifically the next year to ask us to attend again," she said.

Dogs participating in the Holiday Hounds on Parade are asked to be in costume, while those in the Parade of Lights must have battery-operated lights attached to them in some way, typically on their leashes, she said.

This year, Tressel will be showing off his Nordic elf costume, complete with hand stitching and hand beading. Previously Tressel accompanied two of his Dane friends, owned by Kasey Darr of Toledo, to appear as the Three Wise Men.

Dane owners hang out all day in a heated tent in front of Ida High School, where festival attendees can meet Danes and pick up handouts with information on the breed and how to adopt a Dane through rescue.

The festival also includes food and music, a craft show, a children's lunch with Santa, the 1.25-mile "Light Up the Night" run, ice sculpting, wood carving, ice skating, the St. Joseph Catholic Church creche display, and fireworks.

The Danes take a rain check on the fireworks, however, staying in their tent away from the noise.

Other dog breeds besides Danes are welcome to join the dog parade, said Cheryl Wassus, chairperson of the Holiday Hounds On Parade.

Registration and lineup will take place at Ida United Methodist Church, starting at 1 p.m. The registration fee is $5 for individuals or a $15 flat fee for rescue groups, with proceeds benefiting the Ida Civic Club.

The rescue group with the most adoptable dogs walking in the parade wins a professional photograph of each participating dog, plus a gift certificate for 100 pounds of free dog food for their organization.

Participants are judged as they walk the parade route in their holiday finest, beginning at the Ida United Methodist Church on Ida East Road; west to Lewis Avenue; and south to Ida Street where the parade disbands.

Winners in several categories receive ribbons and gifts for their pooches. Prize categories, with separate competition for handlers 16 and under or 17 and older, include most adorable, smallest pet, mammoth pet, best vocal performance, waggiest tail, as well as a Prince and Princess who will be featured in the Parade of Lights and will ride in their own convertible.

Judges for the event include Amy Bacarella, president of the Alliance for Spay-Neuter and Pet Rescue; Michigan State Police K-9 Officer Brad Martin, and Monroe County Circuit Court Judge Michael Weipert.

Contact Tanya Irwin at: tirwin@theblade.com or 419-724-6066.