The heads of two pups (can we call them pups if they’re full-grown?) are about to get a lot heavier as they are to be crowned the canine king and queen of the 2026 St. Paul Winter Carnival.
Queen Pumpkin, a 2-year-old toy poodle, and King Bruno, an 11-year-old boxer-shar pei mix, will receive their royal titles at the official Doggie Depot ceremony Sunday at Union Depot in downtown St. Paul. They will be crowned by the 2026 St. Paul Winter Carnival Royal Family. The public is invited to join in the free fun, shop from local pet vendors and even participate in dog yoga (this way you can learn downward dog from a true master).
Out of 2,645 total votes, Pumpkin received 325 votes for queen, and Bruno had 271 votes for king.
According to Doggie Depot, Queen Pumpkin is a “rescue ambassador who brings joy to kids and seniors alike.” King Bruno is a “former Texas street dog who is learning to embrace the cold of his new home in Minnesota.”
Meet King Bruno
King Bruno (Courtesy of Doggie Depot)
In 2020, in Texas, Rebecca Zerlin would take her 6-year-old, three-legged St. Bernard- Lab mix, Trillie, for walks around town. As the two walked, a street dog mix would follow the two. The dog followed Zerlin and Trillie around for a couple of months.
“One day, he followed us home and kind of never left,” Zerlin said.
Trillie has since passed, and Zerlin moved to St. Paul with Bruno, the friendly street dog, in 2023.
“He’s a really sweet dog,” Zerlin said. “He’s got a wonderful personality. Sometimes he can be a little dense, but I think that’s the boxer in him. He loves affection; he loves attention.”
This year is Zerlin’s first time participating in the St. Paul Winter Carnival. She said coming from Texas, she’s tried to be aware of what’s going on around town, and doing so has helped her meet new friends and find community. When she got word of Doggie Depot, she said she knew Bruno had to compete.
Zerlin said her friends flipped through many photos with her in attempts to find the ones where Bruno looked like “his most handsome and regal self.” She said she did not at all expect him to win.
“I’m very excited,” Zerlin said. “I hope Bruno is. I’ve been telling him about it, and he’ll wag his tail, but I don’t think he fully knows what he’s in for this weekend.”
King Bruno succeeds Goldendoodle Grover, who served as 2025’s king.
Meet Queen Pumpkin
Queen Pumpkin (Courtesy of Doggie Depot)
Queen Pumpkin was adopted in 2023 by Elena Lindemann, who is originally from Ukraine, and has lived in Minnesota since 1992. Lindemann and her 10-year-old daughter, Nola, live in Woodbury with their three toy poodles, Lily, Macy and Pumpkin.
Lindemann has been a dog foster mom for 14 years, and Pumpkin was born from one of the dogs she fostered. Betsy, Pumpkin’s mom, was rescued by Coco’s Heart Dog Rescue from a breeding facility, Lindemann said. The rescue organization didn’t initially know Betsy was pregnant, but Lindemann decided to take her in, along with the four puppies she birthed a couple of years ago.
“One of them was Pumpkin,” Lindemann said. “She was the only girl.”
Lindemann’s daughter, leader of “the foster naming committee of one,” gave all four puppies fall-themed names as they were born in November: Acorn, Spice, Turkey and Pumpkin.
This is Lindemann and her daughters’ second time participating in Winter Carnival festivities, she said. Last year, Nola was welcomed to the Royal Family and crowned Little Miss Woodbury Ambassador. Lindemann said her family enjoys all the events, but most importantly, the people behind them.
Nola Lindemann, 2024 Little Miss Woodbury Ambassador, holds her toy poodle, Pumpkin, who will be crowned Queen during Doggie Depot, the 2026 Winter Carnival royal canine event, at 11 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026 at Union Depot in downtown St. Paul. (Courtesy of Elena Lindemann)
“Behind all of the glitz and glamour are people who really want to give back to the community and bring joy,” Lindemann said.
Pumpkin is a very sweet dog, Lindemann said. She has been an “informal ambassador” for Coco’s Heart rescue, as Lindemann has taken her to schools to teach kids about compassion and kindness, as well as nursing homes, she said. Though she’s a very kind dog, Lindemann said she’s also good at disciplining the rambunctious foster puppies that come into their home.
“But yet she’s super, super sweet,” Lindemann said. “Her favorite place in the whole world is your lap, and if the lap is available, she’ll sit there all day.”
While a lap is her favorite place, Pumpkin also has a favorite thing and that’s cheese, according to Lindemann.
“That is something that will wake her up from the deepest sleep,” Lindemann said. “She does love cheese. In fact, we use that word for basically any treats. That is her code to activate.”
Lindemann said she’s excited for people to come and meet Pumpkin for the first time. She said she knows they will find her “little five-pound self” adorable. She said she’s also looking forward to being in community with others, especially in Minnesota, at a time when it’s needed most.
“Mostly, I’m excited to be around dog lovers and rescue-minded people,” Lindemann said. “I find that, personally, the days are very sad and everything else, but there’s that bond that you have in common with rescue people, that you can be on the opposite end of the spectrum politically or otherwise, but this is what unites you, and that warms my heart.”
Queen Pumpkin succeeds canine Kairi, an American Pit Bull who served as 2025’s queen.
Doggie Depot
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2026 St. Paul Winter Carnival Royal Family announced
What: A free public celebration of two of St. Paul’s most beloved dogs. Watch as they receive their crowns, shop around from local pet vendors and pet some of the pooches present.
When: All are invited to meet the two royals following the ceremony at 11 a.m. Those interested in “doga,” AKA dog yoga, must sign up early for spots, which are limited, and attendees will have to arrive at Union Depot at 9 a.m.
Where: The event will take place in the Waiting Room of Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E., St. Paul; “just follow the dogs,” as the Doggie Depot website says.
For more information on the event, visit uniondepot.org/doggiedepot.
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