On Sunday, Oct. 28, the 12th annual Haute Dogs Howl’oween Parade took a widdershins route this year down Second Street between Livingston and Park avenues, but the magic was still there as hundreds of dogs and at least one cat along with their best buddies transformed themselves into their fondest fantasies and worst nightmares—in fact, many of the human companions took the event as a good excuse to be fashion hounds themselves.
Proceeds will be donated to rescue/adoption groups, spay/neuter programs and other area nonprofits. The event included costume contests, the ritual pumpkin drop to set off the season, many vendor, organization and food booths, a veterinarian to take care of any emergencies, and countless adoption groups, including one for cats that was mercifully set in a completely different area from the dog groups. Instead of an adoption feature, the following is a listing for all the groups there. Click on the names to see all the critters you can give a loving home to.
Long Beach Spay/Neuter (cats) http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/CA759.html
Southern California Bulldog Rescue http://www.socalbulldogrescue.org
Homeless to Forever Foundation (dogs and cats) http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/CA1923.html
Pardon…Me Inc. (small dogs and cats)http://www.pardonmeinc.org
The Fuzzy Pet Foundation (dogs and cats) http://www.tfpf.org
Rescue Me PuPs (dogs) http://www.rescuemepups.com
Pei People Shar Pei Rescue, Inc. http://www.PeiPeople.com
I.C.A.R.E Dog Rescue http://icaredogrescue.org
German Shepherd Rescue of Orange County http://www.gsroc.org
Basset Hound Rescue of Southern California http://www.BHRSC.org
And remember to keep your pet safe this Halloween:
- Keep your pets safely indoors, away from trick-or-treaters and other Halloween activities. Remember that masks and costumes change how people look and smell to a pet, so even familiar people may become frightening.
- Make sure that all of your pets are wearing tags with current ID. Opening the door repeatedly for trick-or-treaters creates plenty of escape opportunities.
- Keep candy out of your pets’ reach. Chocolate and other ingredients can be toxic to them.
- If you choose a costume for your pets, forgo masks and make sure costumes are comfortable and do not pose a risk for injury.
- Decorations can be dangerous, so be sure to keep them safely away from pets. Candle flames can set fire to their fur. Hanging or dangling decorations can be an entanglement or choking hazard to some animals.
- Use fake cobwebs sparingly, if at all. Pets can choke on fake cobwebs set up indoors. Outdoors, fake webs may be a hazard to birds and wildlife.
- When going out trick-or-treating, leave your dog at home. Dogs can be easily excited by the Halloween commotion and a bite or lost dog will quickly end the evening’s fun.
Courtesy of the Humane Society of the United States.
They are omnipresent, aren’t they?
It don’t bark and it don’t bite.
On hand to keep things groovy
XXXL, please.
