Ahead of a doggie coronation at Union Depot, online voting is underway to select the canine king and queen of the 2024 St. Paul Winter Carnival.

Voting for the Doggie Depot contest began on Thursday and runs through 11:59 p.m. Central Time on Sunday, Jan. 21.

People can vote once a day at uniondepot.org/doggiedepot.

Winners will be announced Jan. 22 on the Union Depot Facebook page.

What makes these 219 contestants qualified to serve? Well, their people signed them up by the deadline earlier this month.

At Union Depot’s Doggie Depot landing page, voters can see photos of each contestant and, in most cases, read short campaign pitches.

This year’s contestants include Lady Pippa Pipsqueek, a Pembroke Corgi who is already adorned in a tiara and a royal cape; there’s also Miles, a Catahoula/German Shepherd mix who looks naturally regal in his black-and-white tuxedo coat; then there’s Sugar, a white-coated Husky who loves the snow and cold and “was born to be a winter king”; and many more dogs that fill a total of 11 pages.

The king and queen candidates receiving the most votes will win the crowns, according to the contest’s official rules (in the event of a tie, a random drawing will be conducted for the tied candidates).

In addition, the royal winners will each receive a gift basket of pet-related goodies and gift cards valued at $250.

As members of the St. Paul Winter Carnival royal family, the two royal dogs will join Doggie Depot sponsor Animal Emergency Referral Center of Minnesota and walk in the King Boreas Grande Day Parade from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27.

Parade participation is a recent tradition: Queen Lucy, a Husky mix, and King Rio, a Shih Tzu, were the first canine queen and king to walk in the parade in 2023.

Lucy (left), the Canine Queen of the Snows and Rio, the Canine King Boreas of the 2023 St. Paul Winter Carnival.

A week following this year’s parade, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, the 2024 king and queen will be formally crowned by the 2024 St. Paul Winter Carnival royal family at Doggie Depot, a dog-friendly event at Union Depot in Lowertown.

Doggie Depot will include a large doggie marketplace with treats, toys, dog clothing and other pet-related items. Local rescues will also be at the event, connecting adoptable dogs with those interested in providing a forever home.

Doggie Depot

What: Doggie Depot is a free, dog-friendly event featuring more than 55 vendors and rescues. Visitors to Doggie Depot are encouraged to bring their four-legged friends.
When: 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3 (with a dog yoga session starting at 9 a.m. and the dog coronation at 11 a.m.). KS95’s Staci Matthews is set to emcee throughout the day.
Where: Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul
Info: uniondepot.org/doggiedepot

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