Dalmatian Wins Costume Contest with a Last-minute Outfit: “Cookies and Cream Ice Cream”

At ExpoNitPet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a sweet Dalmatian named Maria Flor participated in a costume contest.

Can you guess what her costume was? You won’t believe it! At the last minute, she dressed up as a cookies and cream ice cream.

Thanks to her owner Marcia Medeiros’s creativity, the dog took first place. The prize was well deserved — little Flor rocked it!

Florzinha’s Adoption

In December 2017, Marcia saw an Instagram post about Flor, who was six months old at the time and up for adoption after being rescued from mistreatment.

Marcia wasn’t planning on getting another dog, but after seeing the post, she became interested and offered to adopt Flor. However, the list of adopters was long, and she was told no.

A few weeks later, Marcia found out that the pup was once again being mistreated. That’s when she moved heaven and earth to gain custody of the little dog.

“She was living in a house where the neighbors who shared the backyard didn’t want her there. She was being mistreated and was even poisoned. She was hospitalized, and when she returned from the clinic, she was kept locked up all day in a small space until her owner came home at night,” she explained to Amo Meu Pet (our Brazilian website about pet news).

In January 2018, Flor, suspicious and scared, arrived at her new home, where, with a lot of love and affection, the family managed to gain the Dalmatian’s trust.

“Now she is happy, very loved, and in a great place,” she said.

Pet Parade

The parade took place on October 8th. The dog usually participates in these events and, to her owner’s delight, often places in the top three.

“This time, she received a VIP invitation, and I thought that, more than ever, she had to rock it!” exclaimed Marcia.

Wanting to make her princess even more beautiful for the parade, Marcia asked for help from a friend whose dog also frequently places first in competitions. It was then that she suggested Marcia dress Flor up as an ice cream.

“I didn’t take it too seriously, but I thought about it and decided to do it,” she revealed. “I printed the ice cream logo, took a lid from an ice cream container, and glued it to a bow.”

As expected, there were some beautiful dogs, but Flor’s creative outfit stood out from all the rest.

“Both the judges and the audience loved it. I heard people commenting and asking to take pictures with her.”

The award opened doors for this beauty: soon after, the Dalmatian received an invitation to become an ambassador for a large grooming salon in the city. She’s amazing!

“Flor means everything to me. I have been through, and continue to go through, many hardships. I am an only child; my mother has advanced-stage Alzheimer’s, my father has stage IV cancer and depression, and I keep going thanks to Flor’s love and these events that help distract me.”

The Costume’s Repercussion

Proud of her dog, Marcia posted a photo of her costume in a pet lovers’ group, and in no time, it garnered over 3,200 reactions and hundreds of humorous comments.

“Where’s Ben & Jerry’s to hire this girl for a commercial? She’s the cutest thing ever—OMG!” wondered one user.

“I can’t handle this,” said another.

“Ben & Jerry’s are the real winners—well deserved!” added a third.

To follow Flor on social media, click here.