On a brisk October morning, dogs wagged their way into the Halloween spirit by wearing their favorite costumes. From pumpkins and lions to cute flowers, there was a variety of costumes and breeds at the event as dogs socialized among the families and other dogs.
Bob 95 FM put on the first and hopefully annual Halloween Pet Parade on Oct. 28 in Lindenwood Park in Fargo. The event was sponsored by Home Away From Home, which is a pet boarding and grooming business located in South Fargo. It was also sponsored by Sandy’s Donuts & Coffee Shop. They provided donuts for anyone who showed up, regardless of whether they participated or just watched.
Locals gathered around to watch a parade of dogs walk through the woods before taking pictures of every adorable costume. People continued to join the parade or showed up to watch the event.
Along with the satisfaction of being adored, each pet that participated was entered to win a free two-night stay at Home Away From Home.
Although it was a short parade, attendees were all smiles as dogs ran through with excitement unsure of why they were getting so much attention. Surprisingly, most dogs enjoyed their costumes and did not try to rip them off like others might have thought. After participating in the event, many of the dogs enjoyed the praise from photo ops and treats from owners.
Chris Hanson, the morning host of Bob 95, commented on this new event. “The pet costume industry is booming, and we noticed that a lot of other places have big pet parades for costumes at Halloween,” Hanson said.
Not only does Bob 95 have this event, it also has “given away thousands of dollars in prizes for pet owners over the years with our “Pet of the Week’ on-air contest every Friday,” Hanson said.
“We hope it (Halloween Pet Parade) will be an annual event that will only get bigger every year,” Hanson shared.
All dogs were friendly and excited to greet other dogs and families. Many of them ran up to strangers wanting more adoration for their costumes, and they got many people to pet them and tell them what a good dog they were.
After photo ops, dogs continued to enjoy the excitement of others celebrating the Halloween weekend.