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Doggy lovers of Phoenix were treated to a show at The Dressing Room Tuesday as the city’s canine divas hit the runway in hopes of becoming the Valley’s next doggy drag queen.
The second annual Doggy Drag Show featured a colorful array of contestants eager to strut their stuff as they bid for the title.
Reigning champion Little Miss Houndcake gracefully stepped aside for the occasion to let a new queen compete for the crown. The chocolate-spotted basset hound nonetheless participated in the event as one of the judges.
Joined by owners Chianne Nass and Marshall Shore, Houndcake watched from her spot on the judges’ couch as the ladies stepped up to showcase their outfits.
The event consisted of 20 performers, all vying for the coveted grand prize.
But their performance wasn’t just for show.
Event organizers Troy Watkins and Lisa Sayegh, both business partners at The Dressing Room, pledged to donate all proceeds from ticket sales to Mesa-based animal shelter The Farm Rescue.
“It’s nice to give back to the community,” Watkins said. “Last year we did the Humane Society… it was something that became a little bigger than we initially expected.”
Sayegh echoed his sentiments, saying the event was a pleasure for everyone involved.
“It’s the most fun I’ve ever had,” Sayegh said. “People are just so happy, everyone has a really great time.”
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Self-proclaimed “Hipstorian” Marshall Shore, who gave himself the title after taking an interest in chronicling lesser-known topics of the city’s history, said the show is also a way of paying homage to the LGBT culture that spawned it.
The Doggy Drag Show is the latest addition to a line of city traditions that aim to celebrate LGBT culture, such as the annual Phoenix Pride Parade.
Prior to being a café and restaurant, The Dressing Room was just that: a dressing room where drag performers would prepare for shows before hitting the stage across the street at the now-defunct Club 307, a popular neighborhood bar known to longtime residents as a stalwart staple of the LGBT community.
“It had been a safe space for the LGBT community,” Shore said. “With the history of this having been the dressing room, because the bar itself was so small, they would get dressed here and then run across the alley to perform. [The show] keeps the memory of that alive.”
The night’s main event was the runway exhibition, during which owners led canine contestants down the line as audience members crowded the strip to admire their outfits.
Bulldog Lina Sparkles hit the runway sporting a bouncy blue wig with a figure-hugging pink dress. For her part, chihuahua-pug mix Miss Dirty Paws performed with a voluminous blonde wig and sparkly gold sash hand-sewn by owner Dominic Belluomo.
Following the showcase, the judges announced the winners.
First place went to Lina Sparkles, with Miss Dirty Paws and boxer Cookie taking runner-up and third place, respectively.
Both Sayghe and Watkins expect to build upon this year’s success, and said they look forward to higher attendance at future editions as word spreads and better publicity is implemented.
Though only three of the performers were declared winners, one thing’s for sure: these queens weren’t just pawing around.
Contact the reporter at sleal2@asu.edu.
