Dogs from outer space invade Roswell's Alien Pet Costume Contest

New Mexico's Roswell UFO Festival was held over the long holiday weekend, and one of the festival's most highly anticipated events was -- you guessed it -- the Alien Pet Costume Contest.  From the Roswell Daily Record:

Diane and Pete Ibarra's four dogs
-- Smeg, Lil Man, Squishy and Binkys -- worked as a team to win the contest. The Ibarras, of Roswell, left nothing to chance, even turning a baby carriage into a canine spacecraft. ...

The dogs -- a standard poodle, teacup Chihuahua, teacup shih tzu and teacup Yorkshire terrier, respectively -- were dressed as aliens from "Planet Poop-a-lot."

Classy.  Real classy.

Second place went to Meatball (pictured), a Chihuahua attired in some sort of alien-inspired headdress as well as goggles, tiny shoes and a cape.  Another Chihuahua, Sophie, took third place; her costume consisted of what her owner described to the Daily Record as a  "platinum, intergalactic jumpsuit, fashioned with the utmost precious gems from her planet."

The Roswell UFO Festival is an annual event with conferences, workshops, film screenings, a parade, a laser-light show and, of course, a human costume contest. 

-- Lindsay Barnett

Photo: Meatball tries to untie his shoe before the start of the costume contest.  Credit: Mark Wilson / Associated Press