WALLACE — Christmas is going to the dogs, or at least for one afternoon it went to the dogs during the annual Wallace Paw Parade.

Put on every year by the Volunteer Wallace group and sponsored by the Wallace Chamber, the seventh edition of the parade featured 62 pets, most of which came with two humans.

“We love seeing the people and especially the kids with the dogs out there having a good time,” said organizer Cindy Lien. “It really brings out a lot of people, some of which don’t always come for things, but really seem to like the event.”

The parade snakes around Bank and Cedar streets, right in the heart of Wallace’s business district, which makes it a fun spectacle for those out doing some shopping.

Following the event, families were able to get some fun photos of their pets and families with ol’ Santa Paws-er-Claus himself, which was hosted and sponsored by the Northern Pacific Railroad Depot Museum.

The event has significantly grown in its seven-year existence, considering the first year saw only 20 dogs come out, but over the years, particularly the last few, the event has grown exponentially.

“With more and more people moving here, more people are encouraged to get involved with the event,” Lien said. “And as it’s growing, more and more people look forward to our parade each year.”

Wallace is no stranger to a good event or party for that matter and according to Lien, this event is becoming one of the highlights of their annual Retro Christmas Festival.

“People plan around this event,” Lien said. “They start having pre-parties and they bring their drinks outside to watch. This is turning into a classic Wallace event.”

Happy Howlidays!