Seattle’s Dog-O-Ween

By Marion L. Head

Dog’s in Halloween costumes? Sign me up!

Seattle is one dog crazy city as demonstrated by their exceptional dog park areas, dog bakeries, dog friendly bus system and the water bowl in front of every other store front in town. Seattleites take their love of dogs to an incredible extreme and Dog-O-Ween is just one such extreme.

Seattle’s 7th Annual Dog-O-Ween takes place Saturday October 27 at Genesee Park off leash area. The whole crazy event begins at 11 am when dogs and their people begin arriving and signing up for the costume contest. There is also a Silent Auction, food and drinks available, raffle tickets, an agility course, and vendor booths. Treat Your Pet This Halloween!

But the costume contest is the real draw and pooches and their owners go to great lengths to compete in various categories including, Most Original, Scariest, Best Owner/Dog Combination and Best Group. My personal favorite from last year was the owner dog combo of Leonardo Dog Vinci and Mona Lisa. Yes, it’s exactly what you are thinking; a woman with a picture frame around her head dressed as Mona Lisa and her dog with a beret and painter’s smock. And a green mutt in a garbage can as Oscar the Grouch wasn’t too bad either.

Dog-O-Ween is a fundraiser for COLA, or Citizens for Off Leash Areas, that works to promote and improve the existing 11 off leash dog parks in Seattle as well as creating new ones. For ten years COLA has worked with the city to create and maintain areas where dogs and their owners can enjoy the freedom of off leash play.

If you’re in Seattle I recommend you make your way to Genesee Park early (parking can be a problem) and enjoy all the lunacy. If you’re not, you can share in the fun by going to the Dog-O-Ween website at http://www.dogoween.org/index.html. There is info, pictures and even the opportunity to donate to a worthy cause.

Meanwhile, I need to get back to the sewing machine.

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