Put away your Star-Spangled Banner-themed pet apparel: the American Visionary Art Museum said Friday it won’t host its annual animal parade and talent show due to warming temperatures.

Since 1996, Baltimoreans and their furry, feathery and scaly friends donned their most patriotic garb for the museum’s “butt-sniffing, trick-turning, leg-lifting, costumed and festooned” 4th of July Pet Parade and Animal Talent Show. Not in 2025, though.

“Due to rising temperatures each year, AVAM has made the difficult decision to cancel our 2025 4th of July Pet Parade to ensure the comfort and safety of all our animal companions — humans included,” representatives from the museum said on Instagram.

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The museum alludes to another pet-friendly event in the works for cooler months in the post. Gregory Tucker, the public relations advisor to the American Visionary Art Museum, said organizers are considering bringing the parade and talent show back during a cooler season, such as the fall or spring, to avoid temperatures being such a concern for the 400 or so participants they typically get.

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The beloved annual event saw animals of all kinds and their human companions parading around the Federal Hill museum the morning of Independence Day. It’s held each year in memory of Ellis Rosen, a former volunteer and supporter and a devout animal lover.

The most recent cancellation was in 2021 alongside another one of the museum’s annual community events, the Hughes Family Flicks on the Hill movie series.

“The decision was made out of continuing concern for the optimal well-being of our community and staff, due to the large crowds the events attract,” a news release read. “The move also supports Baltimore City’s decision to withhold the required permits for outdoor gatherings such as these.”

All registrants of the 4th of July Pet Parade and Animal Talent Show get a participation award, the museum’s founder and founding director Rebecca Alban Hoffberger told WMAR-2 News in 2018. Animals vie for trophy prizes in categories such as the Most Patriotic, Star-Spangled, Yankee Doodle Dandy Pet Award; Best Pet Haute Couture (Best Costume); Best Visionary Pet Hair-do; and, the grand prize, Most Visionary Pet Award.