Years ago, it was a sparkling New Year’s Day in Pasadena. The palm trees glistened at “TV corner” where cameras capture the start of the parade route each year. As usual, the commentators remarked on the sunny weather. That New Year’s Day, while watching the Rose Parade telecast from the East Coast, Dia DuVernet, CEO and president of Pasadena Humane, never dreamed she would be part of such a wonderful event.
“The Rose Parade has been one of my favorite holiday traditions since I was old enough to remember,” DuVernet said. “I loved getting up on New Year’s morning and turning on the TV to see the beautifully decorated floats.”
On Jan. 1, DuVernet will ride on the Pasadena Humane float. For the first time in 20 years, the shelter will have a float, sponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Hill’s Food, Shelter & Love program provides food for cats and dogs in the shelter.
Since DuVernet moved to the West Coast in 2019 and joined Pasadena Humane, she has led a dedicated team of animal welfare professionals and volunteers in caring for thousands of homeless pets and injured, orphaned, wild animals. She has also expanded Pasadena Humane’s commitment to keeping pets out of the shelter whenever possible through innovative support services that ensure pets stay with people who love them.
DuVernet’s adopted dog Sueshi will ride on the float with her, along with other dogs, Pasadena Humane staff and volunteers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition partners and Drs. Vernard Hodges and Terrence Ferguson, stars of National Geographics “Critter Fixers: Country Vets” will also be riding on the float.
“The Rose Parade is unique, just like Pasadena,” DuVernet says. “I’ve only lived in Pasadena since 2019, but amazingly, I’m going to ride on a float in the 2024 parade, something I’ve dreamed of since seeing it on TV as a child. It will be a dream come true.”
First published in the December 22 print issue of the South Pasadena Review.
