The Taylor Animal Shelter pulled off its first Howl-O-Ween Dog Walk and Costume Contest event at Coan Lake inside Taylor’s Heritage Park, and organizers said the event brought out some of the frightfully friendly animals, and some delightful devas to the affair.
Participants were asked to dress up their four-legged fur babies and come to the park for an afternoon of fun on Oct. 4.
Hannah Tonge, with the animal shelter, feared the day might be too warm for a good turnout, but she said she was pleasantly surprised.
“We had at least 40 to 50 pets,” she said. “The best costume was a Rottweiler dressed as a spider and the best owner and dog look alike was a Dracula outfit.”
There were 10 vendors that set up their operation in the park for the day and each one brought dog treats for all of the participants.
“This was not a fundraiser,” Tonge said. “This was just an opportunity to get the public involved and bring awareness to the homelessness of animals.”
More than anything, Tonge said she believes the pet owners enjoyed just being around other pet owners and having a chance to let the dogs socialize, too.
“They all behaved,” she said. “It was amazing. Everybody enjoyed the comradery.”
Tonge said she doesn’t know if this will become an annual event or not, but agrees it got the best launch possible.
She hopes visitors will also support the shelter’s grand opening to the public and adoption event from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 11 at 25555 North Line Road in Taylor.
Originally Published: October 6, 2025 at 1:38 PM EDT
