On Oct. 27, dogs and their humans are being invited to take part in what the Kensington BIA is calling the “furr-ightening” best Halloween event for dogs during the spooky season.
The annual Pup Crawl Trick-or-Treating is the fourth time around for the BIA, which has seen demand for the dog focused Halloween event grow from both visitors and from businesses.
This year, 35 Kensington businesses are taking part in the event, which began as a grassroots event by just two businesses—Vine Styles and Pet Planet—just a few years ago.
Annie McInnis, Executive Director for the Kensington BIA, said that the growth of the Pup Crawl has come about as a result of the free fun that participants have had each year.
“The feedback has been so good that nearby businesses, to last year’s participants and the participants the year before have said, ‘you know what, we’re on board. We want to do this.’ I think they’re seeing so many people on the street, and excited about what it is,” she said.
What it is, is over 200 dog owners each year taking their pooches in costume from door to door to door, getting free dog appropriate and safe treats, while getting to take part in one of the only ways that adults get to trick-or-treat.
“We see families and groups of people with multiple dogs, and some people work really hard on their costumes,” McInnis said.
McInnis herself is planning on walking her dog as part of the dog Halloween as a cat, while she dresses up as a mouse—all to be a part of one of what she said was one of the most fun activations that the BIA puts on each year.
“Every year that we’ve done it, I have gone down and everybody who’s there without dogs is just laughing and pointing and saying, ‘oh my gosh, all the dogs in costume.’ There are so many dogs in costume, and people taking pictures. Everybody is just so charmed by this event,” she said.
But the Pup Crawl also is a serious way for businesses to get in front of potential customers, and make sure their pooches are also wanting to bring their owners back.
From the initial two businesses, the interest in trick-or-treating grew said McInnis. First to 17, then 22, and now to 35.
“The businesses have fun with it. The staff has fun with it. And if it’s a business where, like an eatery, they can’t really have dogs come inside, they have somebody at the door handing out, or they have a little basket and a sign outside saying one biscuit per customer,” she said.
“I know that the dogs are totally into it for months afterward. My dog, if I take her down to catch it, wants to turn into every shop. She remembers every shop she got a treat from, and she’ll try to go into those shops. So we just see this as a really fun event for dogs. They get rewarded for being down there too.”
Making it free for visitors was something that the Kensington BIA emphasizes, McInnis said. It’s something that every BIA in Calgary tries to do to draw customers to their areas.
The Halloween Pup Crawl kicks off at 2 p.m. at participating businesses in Kensington along Kensington Road NW, and 10 Street NW, and runs until 5 p.m.
Other dog-friendly BIA events kicking off over the weekend ahead of Halloween include the Howl-o-ween Dog Costume Contest at Cold Garden Brewery in Inglewood on Oct. 27, and Spook the Loop happening in Marda Loop on Oct. 26, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
