The Silver Spring Penguin

Photo: A girl and her dog hit Ellsworth Drive. Credit: J. Deseo/SSP.

Editor’s note: One of the coolest (and toughest) tasks I’ve ever had as Penguin editor was to judge a people-pet lookalike contest in September. It’s harder than you think.

It wasn’t the bright sun or delirious craving for Chick-Fil-A waffle fries that had people doing double takes Sunday on Ellsworth Drive. It was the Dog Days of Downtown Silver Spring, which brought out people and their lookalike pets.

The street fair drew a steady crowd of humans and canines, and featured dog-food vendors and rescue leagues. But the highlight of that warm afternoon was the pet-people lookalike contest, during which Penguin editor Jennifer Deseo (yeah, that’s me) and two others passed vicious judgement on dogs and their dopplegangers. (more…)