NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 16, 2006--The Krewe of Barkus, the only Mardi Gras krewe in New Orleans by and for the canine population, has elected Amigo, the infamous face of the HSUS BeKind campaign, as the official King of Barkus 2006. An obvious choice for Pooch Royalty, Amigo will kick the "Pawty" off in the streets of the French Quarter with his "indoguration" launching the festivities, now in its fourteenth year, on Sunday, February 19th.

No stranger to "giving back," Amigo is the face behind the HSUS BeKind Cause Collar, which benefited the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Relief Fund. He led "The Amigo Express," a "buslift" rescue expedition to the Tylertown, Miss., headquarters of the Humane Society of Louisiana. For his efforts, he and his "human," Frances Hayward (founder of BeKind), were presented with a special award by ardent animal lover Alicia Silverstone at this year's Hollywood Life Magazine's Breakthrough of the Year Awards, to air on Showtime in early April.

From red carpet to the throne, Amigo has some serious creds!

The 2006 Parade starts at Armstrong Park and stops at the VIP Reviewing Stand at Good Friends Bar, where the Captain of the Krewe, with local "telebrities" Angela Hill and Margaret Orr and many other VIPs, will toast the Royal Court.

The Krewe of Barkus is a chartered, non-profit organization founded by Wood Enterprises, with the sole purpose of providing an entertaining parade for the human and canine citizens of New Orleans, and at the same time promoting adoption/rescue of homeless animals through their donations to animal welfare organizations. All details on this magnificent event can be found at www.barkus.org.

This year the Barkus parade has a special relevancy and poignancy since, as a result of Hurricane Katrina, countless helpless creatures were left homeless and displaced. So come join Amigo and New Orleans to ensure a more secure future for animals worldwide and what is sure to be a Royal Ascension into SUPERSTARDOM!

And please visit our website at www.bekind.org

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Copyright Business Wire 2006

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