Balloon Dog Lands at Key West Party
Keys pooch spoofs Balloon Boy
Florida Keys News Bureau
Jim Brooks with Balloon Dog Brutus and a Fantasy Fest attendee with his colorful bird.
Balloon Boy's got nothing on Balloon dog.
Brutus, a 65-pound English bulldog showed up dressed as the infamous Colorado fraud last night at the Keys Fantasy Fest's Pet Masquerade, donning his own improvised weather balloon for the event.
The pooch's owner, Jim Brooks, said he was inspired by the faked flight of 6-year-old Falcon Henne.
"I imagined, over a couple of beverages, what would happen if my dog did that," said Brooks.
Though Brutus was grounded by his weight, Brooks had wanted to really have him take to the skies, floating beneath a real balloon. But the logistics of the gag proved too much.
"It was going to require a 21-foot-diameter weather balloon, and the National Weather Service wouldn't let me borrow one," Brooks said.
Balloon Dog Brutus stood out in a field of over 80 animals who all dressed up for the costume contest and included a bearded dragon on a toy motorcycle and a peacock dog with colorful tail feathers.
This is the 30th year of Key West's Fantasy Fest, which runs through Sunday.
Posted Thursday, Oct 29, 2009 - 1:49 PM EST
