Howling with Laughter

I once had a stupid dog that almost drowned every morning trying to get at those swimming kibbles in his water bowl. He used to tilt his head, crouch down and then plunge his snout into his water dish — always managing to smash his nose on the bottom. But he never held his breath, so he ended up gagging, choking and sneezing. Sometimes he'd gag and repeat for twenty or thirty minutes without rest. And he never got the prize. Pavlov's pooches had nothing on my dumb dog.

There's no doubt that pets — with all their ass-scooting, tail-chasing, crazy-staring and catnip-tripping quirkiness — have kept us laughing since Egyptians worshipped the feline. Tonight starting at 6:30 p.m. at the Denver Improv, 8246 East 49th Avenue at Northfield, approximately fifteen standup comics will compete in the Purina Pet Comedy Challenge. Their pet-centered routines will be five to seven minutes in length, family-friendly and judged by a three-person panel on the basis of originality, humor and relevance to theme. Winners take home prize money, as well as an opportunity to compete in the Pet Comedy Challenge Finals in St. Louis on May 3.

The event is free; for more information, go to www.symfonee.com/improv/denver or call 303-307-1777.
Thu., March 13, 6:30 p.m., 2008