Voting is now underway for the Union Depot’s next canine King and Queen of the St. Paul Winter Carnival and Doggie Depot.
From Husky mixes to Chihuahuas in sweaters, 283 contenders are vying for the royal titles.
The public may view the nominees and vote once a day (once for queen, once for king) at uniondepot.org/doggiedepot through 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 19.
The entries for the dogs, nominated by their humans, include photos and brief explanations of why they deserve the royal titles, including these submissions:
“She spreads kindness, warmth, and joy wherever she goes, uniting everyone.”
“His charm, affection, and kingly spirit bring endless joy to everyone he meets—true royalty in fur!”
The top scoring dogs will be declared king and queen (in the event of a tie, a random drawing will be conducted among the top vote getters). Look for the royal proclamation on the Doggie Depot voting page at about noon on Jan. 22.
The winners will each receive a gift basket of pet-related goodies and gift cards valued at $250.
With privilege comes responsibility, though: The royal dogs, accompanied by their humans, must attend and participate in the King Boreas Grande Day Parade of the 2025 St. Paul Winter Carnival on Saturday, Jan. 25.
A week later, on Saturday, Feb. 1, the dogs must attend the grand crowning ceremony at Doggie Depot at Union Depot; at about 11 a.m., the public can watch as the canine queen and king are crowned by their human counterparts, the 2025 Queen of the Snows and King Boreas, in a short, on-stage ceremony with the Winter Carnival royal family.
In addition to the coronation, Doggie Depot (sponsored by Animal Emergency & Referral Center of Minnesota, AERC) is a free event at Union Depot, 214 Fourth St. E. in Lowertown in St. Paul.
The day’s activities include dog yoga at 9 a.m. followed by more fun from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., including pet vendors and local animal rescue organizations with adoptable dogs. More info at uniondepot.org/doggiedepot.
Canine royalty of the 2024 St. Paul Winter Carnival, Queen Adonika, walked by owner Ryn Melberg, left, and King Big Mac, walked by owner Jeena Devi Arnachellum, march in the King Boreas Grande Day Parade in downtown St. Paul on Saturday, Jan 27, 2024. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
So what’s it like to be top dog?
The reigning canines are the 2024 titleholders, Queen Adonika, a Pomsky (half Pomeranian) and King Big Mac, a French bulldog, who won over 217 other candidates.
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It’s been a fun experience for Adonika and her human, Ryn Melberg, who tagged along to the parade, the coronation and a television appearance.
“It was a whirlwind, a lot of activity in a short period of time — but Adonika is such a social dog, she absolutely loved it,” Melberg says. “She loved being around all the people — she especially loved meeting kids at the parade and coronation; she dragged me from kid to kid to kid. Oh, and she really loved the Winter Carnival queen (Jennifer Westerhaus, the 2024 Aurora, Queen of the Snows) — Adonika really liked her a lot.”
The experience of walking in the parade, watching as people admired Queen Adonika in her royal cape, helped Melberg realize something about St. Paul.
“It was a different perspective,” Melberg said of their official parade role. “I had never noticed until then how many people attend the Winter Carnival parade, how big it really is, walking blocks and blocks and seeing people standing three or four deep.”
Adonika’s joy at meeting her subjects has inspired others.
“My cousin loved our experience and was inspired to put her dog, Eliza, in the contest,” Melberg says.
Whoever wins, Malberg and Adonika will be on the sidelines to support them.
“The queen from the year before, she and her family were at the parade — she was wearing her cape and crown — so we’re planning to the same thing,” Melberg says. “We want to be there for the new king and queen.”
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