SAN ANTONIO – A day after the death of Norma Brooks, dozens showed up Saturday morning to honor the owner of this year's grand marshal, King Anbarkio in the 21st Annual Fiesta Pooch Parade. They wore yellow shirts with an image of Brooks and the grand marshal- Shanti.
"All of my mom's friends, way back when they had a code name for her, 'Sunshine,'" said Dalton Brooks. "We're happy both for her and that the sunshine is outside today."
Brooks, along with her eldest son, Dalton Brooks, were involved in a rollover accident near Jourdanton on Monday. She had remained in critical condition since then.
Despite her tragic death, the Pooch Parade continued as scheduled. King Anbarkio, a shepherd mix, was dressed in his royal blue uniform and stood on top of a float. Surrounding him were Brooks' sons Dalton and Cody Brooks.
The brothers said being royalty at the Pooch Parade was a dream of their mother's. She committed long hours to the nonprofit Therapy Animals of San Antonio.
"She would always say, with therapy dogs and therapy animals in general, it's not about the animal," said Dalton Brooks. "It's about making a connection with people and changing their lives for the better."
The brothers hope their loss will draw greater attention to the work done by the nonprofit their mother helped so much.