Happy “Howl”-oween! The Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade was back in full swing this past weekend, with furry friends gathering from across the city clad in their best costumes.
This year, among the sea of Barbies, Kens, and Scooby Doos, there were a variety of different costumes among the group of pups, including New York City landmarks, classic Halloween monsters and popular internet memes.
The famous parade almost didn’t happen this year – earlier this month, the Tompkins Square Park Dog Run announced in a post on Instagram that the annual parade of puppy cuteness would not be happening, citing permit costs for street closures and park construction as the reason why.
Luckily, hearing the cries of longtime fans of the parade, Get Joy, a dog wellness company based in Fairfield County, CT, stepped up as the exclusive title partner to work with the Friends of the First Run, the official 501(c)(3) fundraising organization for the Tompkins Square Dog Run, to make sure the parade happened this year.
Thousands of New Yorkers and their pets came out in costume to celebrate, not even deterred by the rain that fell that day. Though there were tons of adorable costumes on display, three dogs took the top prizes:
- In first place was Pookah, a Pomeranian dressed up as Winnie the Pooh.
- In second place, Penny Lane the French Bulldog dressed as Willy Wonka
- In third place, Mimi the Bichon as a Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade float
Watch as Ferris Wheel Jay, host of What Is New York on Instagram, gets up close and personal with some of this year’s parade participants.
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