Column: Pasadena Humane’s Rose Parade float gets ‘Best Day Ever!’ just right
The Pasadena Humane float, “Welcome Home.”
You may think Ohio State was the winner on New Year’s Day, but in my opinion Pasadena Humane was the biggest winner of the day.
At 6 a.m. when Rose Parade float awards were announced on the front lawn of the Tournament House, we were honored to hear our “Welcome Home” float, sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition, won the Theme Award.
The award is given to the float that has the most outstanding presentation of the Rose Parade theme.
Months ago, when we first learned of this year’s parade theme – The Best Day Ever! – we immediately thought of adoption day, the day when shelter pets are welcomed into their new homes.
Apparently, the float judges and the hundreds of thousands of parade attendees agreed. All along the 5-plus miles of the parade route, our float was greeted by cheering fans who signaled their love with heart-shaped hand signals, shouts of thanks, and memories of adopting their own pets.
They were thrilled to see the larger-than-life depictions of dogs and cats previously adopted, and even more excited to see the three dogs available for adoption riding on the float.
When Pasadena Humane opened for adoptions at 2 p.m. – a first for New Year’s Day – canine float riders Alfie, Nina, and Moto were quickly adopted.
For Moto especially, this truly was the best day ever!
Pasadena Humane celebrates its Rose Parade float, “Welcome Home.”
Moto is a special needs dog who was in our care waiting for adoption for more than six months. We were overjoyed when a kind soul saw Moto and fell in love with this sweet husky.
In addition to being a large dog, which like all large dogs makes Moto more challenging to place, Moto walks with a limp and must wear a special boot.
Five other large dogs were among the dozen animals adopted from Pasadena Humane on New Year’s Day.
And, we hope our float inspired people watching all over the country to visit their local shelters and find a new best friend. As one of my colleagues at another shelter said, “The float was a wonderful tribute to adopted pets and the message was seen coast to coast (and beyond).”
Riding on the float alongside Yvonne Hsu, US President and General Manager of Hill’s, gave me newfound appreciation for our beautiful Pasadena community and our unique Rose Parade tradition. As you can imagine, Yvonne and other Hill’s representatives from Kansas were impressed by the pageantry, architecture, and thousands of volunteers who made the floats and the parade possible – not to mention the amazing weather!
We look forward to our continuing partnership with Hill’s and hopefully another float in the 2026 Rose Parade. Since joining forces with the Hill’s Food, Shelter and Love Program in 2012, Pasadena Humane has provided safe shelter, nutritious food and lifesaving care for more than 70,000 dogs and cats in need.
We are also thankful to Hill’s for selecting Pasadena Humane as one of 13 shelters in the United States to participate in the Hill’s “Welcome Home” adoption campaign that began Jan 1.
Now through January 12, Pasadena Humane will be offering $100 off the adoption fee for the first 100 dogs and cats adopted in 2025. Adopters will also receive a free starter bag of Hill’s Science Diet, high-value coupons, and a swag bag courtesy of Hill’s Pet Nutrition.
If you weren’t able to visit Pasadena Humane on New Year’s Day, please come by soon to find a new friend to “Welcome Home” for the new year. Learn more about our participation in the 2025 Rose Parade and view adoptable pets at pasadenahumane.org.
Dia DuVernet is president and CEO of Pasadena Humane.
This blog post originally appeared as a column in the Pasadena Star-News on January 3, 2024.
