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Raise the Woof! Win Prizes for Looking Like Your Pet at This SPCA Party

The SF SPCA's Birthday Block Party includes a ‘Paws and People’ Look-Alike Contest. You know what to do.
Rae Alexandra
A tiny dog wearing a big pink dress, teal blue wig and pink headdress. The dog is being held up by a senior lady in a matching outfit, hair and all.
Are you and your dog turning into one another? The SF SPCA wants to reward you for that. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP)

There are dog owners who refer to their pets as their babies. There are folks who enjoy wearing matching outfits with their pups. And then there are the dog-human couples who are in simpatico to such a degree, they’ve started to look alike.

The San Francisco SPCA knows full well this is a real thing, having spent the last century and a half uniting people with pets. That’s why the rescue organization is holding a Paws and People Look-Alike contest later this month, as part of their 158th Birthday Block Party.

Competition categories include: best dressed duo, best hair team and overall matching twins. One of the confirmed judges is Adria, of Adria and Oatmeal — one of TikTok’s favorite pet ‘n parent combos. (Crossing everything that one of the other judges is Oatmeal…)

Either way, I would very much like to see an extended version of this live, thank you please:

@momkmimo A dog that looks the same as its owner🐶🤣#funnydog #dog #tiktok #funnyvideo ♬ Funny – Gold-Tiger

Anyone currently lacking a mirror image in fur form should be heartened to know that the block party will also feature an adoption special. Adoptable animals from Muttville and San Francisco Animal Care and Control will be looking for new homes, and a menagerie from the SPCA will be available for a name-your-price adoption fee.

Beyond public displays of animal-human symbiosis, the block party will feature live entertainment, pet portrait artists, craft tables for kids and a handful of food and drink stands. (I for one am excited to day-drink free of guilt, thanks to the legends of Rescue Dog Wines, who routinely donate half their profits to animal rescue organizations.)

The block party will also be a celebration of independent local businesses that center fluffy sidekicks. Stalls by Henry Noodle, Disco Dog, the Woof Warehouse, Barks and Brownies and many more will be on hand. (As will Baby Cats of California, who can assist anyone wishing to replace their entire wardrobe with items of clothing that all have cats on them. Don’t knock it ’til you’ve tried it.)

And remember: If you’ve got a tiny twin, flaunt them. These guys know what I’m talking about…

A shaggy white dog with dark eyes poses face to face with his owner, who has similar white hair and dark eyes.
This is Crosby and his owner Paul Ceeval. Yep. (Fiona Hanson - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images)

The San Francisco SPCA Birthday Block Party is happening on April 18, 2026, on Alabama Street between 15th and 16th, 12–5 p.m.

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