What happens when over 200 dogs take over a city street? At the Chembur Festival, an annual parade does exactly that. For nearly 11 years, Central Avenue Road has transformed into a lively, tail-wagging routine that creates awareness as dogs dress up in playful costumes. This year, the theme is mythology.

Organised as a free public event by Chembur Citizens Welfare, the parade invites pet parents to walk alongside their dogs, with crowds expected to line both sides of the road as 200 to 250 dogs across breeds pass by. The main aim of the initiative seeks to shift the negative public perception that people might have about dogs, and encourage responsible pet ownership. In a city where many encounters with dogs are linked with fear, this seems like a positive approach.