Fancy Pooches Dress Up for the Puppy Prom

Loki and Penelope sauntered down a glittery pink carpet, side by side, before stopping in front of a purple backdrop covered in glossy purple flowers and letters spelling out “Pup Prom.”

Loki, a Siberian husky-Pomeranian-mix, was dressed in a striped, black tuxedo with a red rose boutonniere. Penelope, a Tibetan spaniel, wore a black dress with a glittery top and line of pearls around the waist complete with a dark pink rose corsage. The pair posed for a photo after being dubbed prom king and queen. Loki and Penelope have been “boyfriend and girlfriend” since December, according to Allison Kelly, Penelope’s owner.

“They get together at least twice a week and have matching outfits,” said Kathy Shockey, Loki’s owner.

Salty Paws, an ice cream bar for dogs, hosted its first “Pup Prom” on Saturday, April 26. Loki and Penelope were two of about 70 participants, breaking the attendance record for any event held at the shop, according to owner Linda Smith. The shop regularly hosts events, including breed-specific meetups, that typically draw 30 to 50 attendees.

At the prom, the dogs’ owners were welcome to order ice cream, or the dogs could indulge in other treats such as mini salmon-flavored cupcakes or dog-friendly beverages like Yappy Hour’s Belly Rub Rose (watermelon-infused water) or Bow Wow Bourbon (pumpkin-infused water) which were served in sparkly plastic coupes. At the end of the event, the dogs’ owners were offered paw-print-decorated bags filled with treats to take home.

“The first time we came here she was really little,” said Kelly. “It was really cool to be able to watch her have ice cream and that there is a spot to bring her to that is dog focused.”

Salty Paws offers several rotating flavors of doggy ice cream. All the flavors are homemade, lactose and preservative-free, and contain four to six clean, high-quality ingredients, according to Smith. The ice cream can be served in a dog bowl, cone or waffle bowl and topped with different dehydrated meats.

“It’s a treat that you can feel good about giving your dogs,” added Smith.

Christel Jarrouj and her corgi, Chloe, were planning to visit for Chloe’s 4^th birthday, which happened to fall on the same day as the prom. Chloe wore a floofy pink tutu dress, enjoyed a scoop of peanut butter-flavored ice cream and posed in front of the rainbow-colored birthday banner.

Allison Plachinski and her beagle, Bongo, have been visiting Salty Paws since it opened in 2023. Bongo was dressed in a gray suit with a pink bow tie and gobbled up a scoop of bacon cheeseburger-flavored ice cream at Pup Prom.

“The first year they were open, my dad discovered it and we brought Bongo down here,” recalled Plachinski, “and then a few months later my dad ended up passing, so I was glad that I got to have that experience with my dad and Bongo.”

Katie Testolin and her Great Pyrenes-Labrador retriever-mix, Farley, visit Salty Paws almost every day and attended Pup Prom. Farley’s favorite treat is bacon-flavored ice cream topped with dehydrated salmon.

“Farley loves this place,” Testolin said. “He drags me to it. There are always fun dogs here and the owner is amazing.”

Salty Paws is the only Midwest location of the small chain of independently owned and operated stores. Smith makes all the flavors of ice cream, plans all the events and decides what merchandise is sold in-store.

“I like to say that we are not just a pet store or a dog boutique, but we’re building a dog-loving and pets-are-your-people community,” Smith said.