Calling all animal enthusiasts: a parade of Pima County pets is strolling into Tucson this weekend 🐶🐱

A first-of-its-kind parade along historic Fourth Avenue this month will feature a new sound — the pitter-patters of paws and the jingles of ID tags on pets from around Pima County.

The first-ever Pets of Pima Parade (POPP) and 4 Legs on 4th Festival hosted by Friends of Pima Animal Care Center will take place on Saturday, April 23. The 1.1-mile parade kicks off at 8:30 a.m. on North Third Avenue and East Seventh Street and concludes around 10:30 a.m. at the intersection of North Fourth Avenue and East Eighth Street. 

Friends of Pima Animal Care Center is a nonprofit that supports PACC to "enhance its efforts to save the lives of pets in need," according to the organization's website.

Following the parade, the 4 Legs on 4th Festival takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. near the parade’s finish line, according to Román Urias, the Friends of PACC development and marketing specialist. The festival includes vendors, a car show, an adoption event and a kid’s court with face painting, balloon art and more.

“We're just honoring that human-animal love and that bond,” Urias said. “And it's a celebration between, you know, humans and their pets and (we’re) inviting all members across Tucson and Pima County to show off their cherished companions.”

It's free to watch the pets waltz through the parade. You can also sign up to participate with your furry friends by donating $100 toward POPP's $100,000 fundraising goal. All of the funds raised or donated go toward the “life-saving efforts of PACC,” Urias said.

The $100 donation gets you registered in the parade, a T-shirt, bandanas for your pets and helps local pets in need. Individuals can register in advance through the event website or in person on the day of the event, starting at 7 a.m.

But what if you have more than one companion at home? 

One registration is valid for the entire household, meaning “you can bring as many of your pets as you want, but you must have at least one person (age 13 or older) per pet for safety reasons,” according to POPP’s website.

POPP has an estimated 200 parade participants so far, according to Urias.

“There's going to be lizards, birds, geese... just all kinds of species,” Urias said. “So this is just not a celebration of dogs and cats. All species are invited within, you know, reason.”

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March to the beat of your own squeaky toy 🐾

When the parade kicks off at 8:30 a.m., the Tucson High Marching Band will lead the way for the parade’s grand marshals: Erin Christiansen, KOLD News 13’s chief meteorologist, and a local Belgian Malinois named Rex and his owner Erin Switzer. 

Rex was adopted from PACC and has created content for Call of Duty Modern Warfare and Black Rifle Coffee Company and will star in an upcoming TV series with Chris Pratt, according to POPP’s website.

Following the appearance of the grand marshals, there will be a cat convoy, a double-decker bus featuring Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat, the Casino Del Sol Pet Pride groups (aka pets besides dogs and cats), five groups of the Raising Cane’s Procesión de los Perros, and a group of “wheelie dogs.”

For a full list of parade segments, check out the POPP website.

For the pets who may become overwhelmed with the sights and sounds of the parade, registrants were able to order a pet-sicle — a handheld sign with a photo of your beloved pet that can be carried through the parade route.

Although this is the first Pets of Pima Parade in Tucson, Urias hopes that the parade will become Friends of PACC’s signature event of the year and eventually be able to spread to other parts of Arizona.

“If this parade goes to another city, you know, let's say Marana, it'd be like #POPP Marana,” he said. “And then if it went to another county, it could be going to Phoenix and be called #POPP Maricopa. It's just something that we hope that will grow. Obviously, just because pets bring so much love and enjoyment to living and how could you not celebrate that?”

Tips for strolling the parade 🐕

• Bring clean-up materials in case of accidents 💩

• Bring water for your pets (and yourself!)

• If you’re planning to stay for the festival after the parade, bring a pair of booties in case the asphalt gets too hot for your furry friend's paws. 

• Pets and their owners are encouraged to dress up in costumes!

• If you think your pet will be overwhelmed in a populated pet environment, it's recommended to leave them at home.

• Get there early to find parking. Parking is available at the Tucson High lot off of Eighth Street for a fee (the money raised goes toward Friends of PACC). Other parking options include the Pennington Street and Centro Garages and the University of Arizona Tyndall Parking Garage.

For more information about the Pets of Pima Parade, visit their website.