The Halloween Dog Parade

Even though I am not the biggest animal fan (this does not apply to Melon or Iris, of course) I had to check out the 16th annual Tompkins Square Park Halloween Dog Parade, because it seemed like it would be super cute and ridiculous. I have noticed that a huge number of people in New York have dogs, and I think I have figured out why. Mice! Many apartment buildings (including mine, gross) have mice, and dogs probably scare mice away. Anyway, New Yorkers seem to be exceptionally nuts about their dogs (there's an article in today's Times about doggie play dates and the increasing tendency of dog owners to coddle their pets like children) . But I digress...

There were hundreds of people and dogs at the dog parade. There was an incredibly wide variety of costumes: bees, cowboys, witches, skunks, Marie Antoinette, Carmen Miranda, hot dogs, Chinese take-out (see photos), Ipods, Siamese twins, seals. Some dog owners had even created elaborate floats, creating costume "scenes", such as the pirate dogs who paraded around in a pirate ship as Canines of the Caribbean. There were also owner-pet costume combos, such as the owner who dressed up as a zebra carcass, while her dog was the predatory tiger. Macabre!

The parade was pretty good but very slow-paced - it was like a university graduation, where you have to sit through an endless number of names being called, and it is the rare person (dog) that stands out. Many of the dog owners were a bit manic, running around with their dogs in their arms or nipping at their feet, taking hundreds of photos. It was a bit overwhelming to be surrounded by all of that puppy love; I felt like a bit of a fraud in the dog run, smiling tightly at the owners every time I felt a little dog nose butt against my calves. But, I do have to admit that I was especially won over by the little Oscar the Grouch dog, pictured above, and for a few minutes I understood why people find dogs so loveable. If they were costumed every day of the year, I just might be converted into a dog fan...