You may be surprised to learn that I don’t write the headlines for my column. Unfortunately, the headline last week was inaccurate. It stated that Pasadena Humane will have our first float in the Rose Parade in 2024. The editors have issued a correction.
With respect to all past stewards of Pasadena Humane, I want to be sure to set the record straight for those who may not have seen the correction. This will be our first float in 20 years, not our first float ever.
In fact, the history between Pasadena Humane and the Tournament of Roses goes back more than a century.
In 1910, the Pasadena Humane Society’s “Animal Ambulance” proudly rode in the parade. According to the Jan. 1 evening edition of the Pasadena Star, our entry that year was “garlanded with smilax and further decorated with clusters of papyrus by members of the society who felt justly proud of the ambulance, having obtained it after much effort on their part.”
Just five years later in 1915, the Pasadena Humane Society took home third place in the historical floats section for a four-horse team.
A photo of our 1926 entry, donated by actor Hobart Bosworth, shows the Pasadena Humane Society’s float on Colorado Boulevard featuring a white horse symbolizing purity.
Pasadena Humane’s most recent float appeared in the 2003 parade, co-sponsored by Nutro Pet Food. The float commemorated the 100th anniversary of the Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA with images highlighting the organization’s past and present.
One of the images depicted animal control officer Lt. Nemesio Arteaga holding a dog. Lt. Arteaga is currently Pasadena Humane’s longest-serving employee and will celebrate his 27th anniversary with the organization next month. Now Chief Humane Officer, Lt. Arteaga will be back in person this year as one of our float riders, along with his dog Bowy, a Pasadena Humane alum.
Over the years, Pasadena Humane has been more than just a parade participant. Since 1996,…
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