Santa and 30 pets get limelight in noon parade in Medina

Photos by Tom Rivers

MEDINA – This dog carries a Santa during the Pets on Parade today at noon in Medina. This year there were about 30 dogs in the procession, the most since pets were welcomed in a parade leading Santa to downtown Medina.

Santa is joined by an elf in making his arrival in downtown Medina. He visited kids in the Santa House at Rotary Park after the parade.

Medina band students played holiday favorites from a trailer.

Connor Tobin and his mother Jessica Tobin from Spencerport pulled puppies in wagons that are at PAWS Animal Shelter. Those dogs aren’t quite old enough to be adopted yet. PAWS volunteers brought seven dogs for the parade.

Gary Watts of Medina helps his granddaughter Charlotte McGrath, 11, squeeze into a costume of a Minion. Gary’s wife Robin made the costume. It is a new character for Medina’s parade.

Jessica Marciano wears an Olaf costume. She walked in the parade with her daughter, Cadence, 4.

Katy Owczarczak, left, and her daughter Aurora Owczarczak walk their dogs in the pet parade. Katy is with Gabe, a German shepherd, and Aurora walks with Meredith, an English cream retriever.

Santa gets a nice reception when he arrives at Rotary Park.

Shawn Ramsey, owner of Canalside Tattoo on Main Street, is dressed as Santa. The tattoo business will be collecting toys until 8 p.m. today. Those toys will be distributed by Community Action of Orleans & Genesee and the Medina Area Association of Churches.