SALEM — Trouble was everywhere at the annual Heritage Days Dog Show, and that's not in reference to the dark skies and sudden thundershowers yesterday afternoon.
Trouble is a 1-year-old pit-bull mix who wore a blue sailor dress and red cap. She charmed the judges and the crowd with her skills, and went on to take the grand prize: president of the Heritage Days Dog Show.
"Congratulations, you've been elected by pup-ular vote," said emcee Kathy Streaker, reading the certificate bestowed to Trouble and her owners, Paul Grecco and Toni Ekberg, of Salem.
"That's great," said Grecco. "That's going right in the living room," he said of the award.
Dog show organizer Donna Michaud drew inspiration for this year's event from the upcoming presidential election, including an obstacle course named "The Race to the White House," and accolades adapted from politicians' names such as the Howl-ary Rodham Clinton Award, the Bark Obama Award, the John McCanine Award — and, of course, Massachusetts' own Mutt Romney Award.
The annual costume and talent show drew fewer than a quarter the usual number of entrants due to the weather. But diehard dog owners braved the rain and huddled with their pooches under the gazebo on the Salem Common until the skies cleared long enough for some ruff (get it?) competition among 13 local dogs.
"Petriotic" costumes abounded, and Rascal the Shih Tzu won in that category. He wore a camouflage vest, an American flag hat, a patriotic bandanna, miniature flags standing upright on his back, and white and blue ribbons tied to each ankle.
Chase, a 9-month-old white boxer from Salem, stole best speaker. Streaker prompted the dogs to "speak" by asking, "Should Mayor (Kim) Driscoll install fire hydrants on every corner of the city for convenience? ... (The dogs) said, 'There are never enough!'"
Other awards included a Ron Pawl Award and a Ruff Nader Award, and this year, the crowd got to weigh in and voted on the president by placing pennies in baskets for each candidate.
"No hanging chads," Streaker said, drawing laughs from the audience. "The polls will be closing soon."
Top dogs
Canine-didates meet and greet
r 1st — Scout, springer spaniel
Owner: John Newall, Salem
r 2nd — Mojo, Pomeranian
Owner: Kayla Beaulieu, Beverly
r 3rd — Mandy, papillon mix
Owner: Donna Gauthier, Salem
Best speaker
r 1st — Chase, boxer
Owner: Robin Perron, Salem
r 2nd — Paczki, Polish sheepdog
Owner: Tamara Dainis and her son, David, Salem
Tug of war
r 1st — Trouble, pit-bull mix
Owner: Paul Grecco and Toni Ekberg, Salem
r 2nd — Scout
Tied for 3rd — Mandy, and Rocco, terrier-poodle mix
Owner: (for Rocco) Michael Derry, Peabody
Most Petriotic, Ameri-canine costume
r 1st — Rascal, Shih Tzu
Owner: Linda St. Pierre, Salem
r 2nd — Brody, Australian shepherd
Owner: Jenna Melvin and Jared Newbegin, Danvers
r 3rd — Trouble
Space Program (catching flying objects like balls discs)
r 1st — Remington, Australian cattle dog
Owner: Vanessa St. Pierre, Peabody
r 2nd — Tempie, Australian cattle dog
Owner: Vanessa St. Pierre, Peabody
r 3rd — Max, cockapoo
Owner: Angela and Ben (no last names given), Salem
The Race to the White House (agility course)
r 1st — Brody
r 2nd — Tempie
r 3rd — Remington
Best Liar (lying on the ground)
r 1st — Paczki
