With his bleached hair and stocky build, Tim Hogan of Safety Harbor brings to mind celebrity chef Guy Fieri.
But this afternoon, Hogan aimed to look more like someone else - his dog, Zim.
Hogan and Zim showed up at the Paws for a Cawse event in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park decked out in matching skull-print black bandanas. Hogan's brown shirt, black shorts and graying beard made him the spitting image of his 11-year-old Staffordshire terrier mix.
The pair won first place in a look-alike contest.
Yes, they beat out a bunch of little kids and their cute dogs for the blue ribbon. But Hogan wasn't apologizing.
"I feel good," he said. "I knew we had it with the brindle hair and the collar."
For a few hours, the downtown park went to the dogs - big dogs and tiny dogs, rough dogs and sleek dogs. They caught Frisbees and paraded in fashion shows.
The Tampa Police Department hosted the party to raise money for Kids and Canines, a Hillsborough County public schools program in which troubled teens train dogs for the disabled, and for Hillsborough House of Hope, which helps women released from jail reintegrate into society.
Police Chief Jane Castor brought along Pork Chop, a gangly black Labrador retriever puppy. Pork Chop was part of an 11-puppy litter bred by Tampa police Officer Dave Curtis, who was killed in the line of duty this summer.
Castor hopes Paws for a Cawse continues next year.
"It's great to see all these dogs enjoying the park," she said.
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