Local anchorwoman Angela Hill
All hail!

Hail! Hail! - King of Canines

Goldweiner, James Bone and Octopuppy were among the 1,500 or so preening pooches who masqueraded through the French Quarter on Sunday, Feb. 7 in the 7th annual Mystic Krewe of Barkus parade (theme: "007: From Barkus With Love"). There were Puppies Galore (in a grocery-cart float), tuxedoed terriers and a pair of golden retrievers got up as martini glasses with olives ("Shaken, not stirred").

Like Bacchus, Zulu, Rex and other Carnival organizations, Barkus has its own royalty. The  king traditionally belongs to someone who has demonstrated a high level of commitment to the krewe, while the queen is always plucked from a local animal shelter. Their court includes a captain, celebrity grand marshal and an assortment of dukes and duchesses.

Reigning as King Barkus VII: a 10-month old silver-gray Weimaraner named Madison Goulue Wilbar. His queen is Hero, a two-and-a-half-year-old whippet who was abused as a puppy. She was described in her official press release as having "a nose any anteater wold be proud of, ears that would shame a carriage mule and protruding eyes that bring Bette Davis to mind."