The Ultimate Pirate Costume Party Grips Houston

It was a pirate’s free for all at Bayou City Event Center when Citizens for Animal Protection raised anchor on its annual summer event, this year dubbed “Captain Magoo’s Pirates of the Caribbean.”

Over the past few years, this creative group of pets’ best friends has delved into fantasy themes focused on Hollywood, the circus, and bikers. While the biker party of a few years back had its share of serious costuming, after all bikers are for real, the pirates theme inspired scores of Captain Jack Sparrows, meany Captain Hooks, jolly pirates, and downright creepy pirates. And let’s not forget the oh-so-sexy wenches.

Four legged friends were invited and plenty joined the party, even those who weren’t part of the pet parade in which a panel of judges — Fox 26 meteorologist Lisa Vaughn and hubby Collin Elliott, Houston magazine publisher Peter Remington and Karen Degeurin, architect Shafik Rifaat and this social scribe — picked their favorite.

Actually, we think it was Bruce Padilla and Shelby Kibodeaux who took the contest into their own hands and selected Lily and Enrique Salinas as the winners, whose costumes were certainly jolly.

Lots of dogs, one slumbering cat (Hershey Grace‘s Snickers) and loads of pirate-themed decor by Kirksey Gregg inspired fundraising  to keep the CAP shelter well stocked with plenty of food and pet meds during the summer months.

Who: Chairs Marian and Austin Cornelius, emcee Deborah Duncan, Dr. Roland Maldonado, Lisa Gochman, Bill King, Kappy Muenzer, Stacy Soefer, Ed McMahon, Robert and Karen Turner-Smith, Rhonda Farr and Alan Howells, Benita Phillips, Megan Bailey, John Moritz.