Mardi Paws

Mardi Paws is a Mardi Gras procession in Covington, Louisiana dedicated to animal welfare.

History
The Krewe of Mardi Paws is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1994 by Denise Gutnisky as a small dog parade that raised funds for animal shelters, and began to have a different theme every year starting in 1999. The parade was born in Mandeville, but was moved to Downtown Covington in 2020. The parade is held during the typical Mardi Gras season.

Although Bacchus was the first Mardi Gras krewe to have a celebrity appear as its monarch, Mardi Paws is the first dog parade to have a celebrity appear as its monarch. The first celebrity to walk in the parade as its King was Ian Somerhalder in 2014, who was born and raised in Covington, Louisiana.

The parade, typically held the first Sunday after Mardi Gras, was not able to roll in 2021 because of COVID-19, but they followed New Orleans in their idea to make "house floats," except the participants made "dog house floats.  " In 2022, the parade is scheduled to roll as usual, but the theme has not yet been decided.

Another event the organization has started is Mutts to Models, also held in Mandeville, where local personalities walk in a fashion show with their dog; The Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws has also put on several adoption events as well as smaller fundraising events such as Mutts & Moonshine, which benefited TADSAW, (Train a Dog, Save a Warrior), a charity based in Texas that works with veterans and service dogs. In 2020, they also hosted "Trunk or Treat," a Halloween costume contest benefitting the St. Tammany Parish Animal Shelter In October 2020, they hosted, "Mardi Paws Geauxs Pink" to help raise awareness for breast cancer.

Parade
The Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws rolls during the New Orleans Mardi Gras season, on the first Sunday after Fat Tuesday.

Parade Themes

 * 1994 No Theme
 * 1995 No Theme
 * 1996 No Theme
 * 1997 No Theme
 * 1998 Where Y'at Dawlin'
 * 1999 Walk on the Wild Side!
 * 2000 Every Dog has its Day!
 * 2001 Dog-gone With The Wind
 * 2002 "PAWS"itively Patriotic!
 * 2003 Mardi Paws goes to HOWL-YWOOD!
 * 2004 Olympic Com"PAW"tition
 * 2005 Puppy Love
 * 2006 Year of the Dog
 * 2007 Mardi Paws Does Disney
 * 2008 It's a Dog's Life
 * 2009 Mardi Paws Tunes in to TV!
 * 2010 Around the World
 * 2011 Diggin' Louisiana
 * 2012 Mardi Paws Goes Bark in Time
 * 2013 Mardi Paws Gets Doggone Wet
 * 2014 Live from the Red Carpet
 * 2015 Mardi Paws Takes a Road Trip
 * 2016 Love is in the Hair
 * 2017 Under the Big Top
 * 2018 Fables, Fairy Tales & Nursery Rhymes
 * 2019 Super Paws
 * 2020 Beyond All Boundaries: Exploring Sea, Air & Space
 * 2021 Pups are "In the House"

Charities

 * Ian Somerhalder Foundation
 * Scott's Wish
 * St. Tammany Spay & Neuter
 * Miracle League
 * Children's Hospital
 * TADSAW
 * St. Tammany Parish Animal Shelter
 * Capital Area Animal Welfare Society
 * Take Paws Rescue
 * ONEHOPE Wine