Dogs dress up for Halloween costume party in Kitchener

Dogs dress up for Halloween party in Kitchener Local dogs showed off their clever Halloween costumes at the very first Howloween Pooch Party in Kitchener.

Kitchener — It wasn’t just the trick-or-treaters getting into the Halloween spirit this weekend in Waterloo Region – local pets also got in on the action.

On Sunday, happy dogs showed off their clever capes and costumes at the first ever Howloween Pooch Party in downtown Kitchener.

“I love that the city has supported us and has been so willing to participate,” said Lili Romero, owner of Leader of the Pack Professional Dog Services.

The inaugural event was hosted by the City of Kitchener, Dog Friendly KW and Leader of the Pack Professional Dog Services to help dog owners show off their pup’s favourite costumes while also promoting the local pet industry.

The party included local venders, a beer garden, a pack walk and a costume contest for best dressed pooch.

“I’m just excited to be able to come out and do something for Halloween,” dog owner Sade Bezjak told CTV. “We’re still in the middle of a pandemic so it’s nice to be able to get out and do something, especially with my dog.”

Organizers say the event wasn’t just an opportunity for dog owners to get out and socialize, but also the pups who have been cooped up during the pandemic. Chris Lefebvre says his dog doesn’t experience events like this very often.

“She doesn’t really have a lot of opportunities to [socialize] because we’re inside so much, especially because we both work from home,” said Lefebvre. “Having her in a pack really just kind of keeps her going forward.”

Dog Friendly KW co-founder Justine Sparling said they’d like to bring the Howloween Pooch Party back next year with a bigger and better event in 2022.