Howl-oween in Old Town

Hannibal Lecter, Sparty and King Leonidas walked awaywith big prizes on Friday — and they did it on all fours. That’sbecause all three characters were awarded for having the best costumesat the annual dog costume contest in Old Town.

Despite chilly weather, over 100 dog owners squeezed intoregistration lines for the event. WLMI-FM host Tim Barron hosted thecompetition and the Wag N’ Tails Pet Resort company handed

out free

dogtreats and boarding coupons to the top three winners.

“We usually expect a big turnout if the weather’s decent,” Barron said.  “I’ve been doing this for 23 years. and I always have a good time.”

Many dog owners came to the event with competitivespirits; others simply came for the entertainment and the experience.Amy Boersna and Jules Brovant of Lansing brought their Yorkie Maltese,Rocco, to the contest just so they could enjoy the show and meet newpeople. “This is a great way to meet other dog owners in the area,”Brovant said. “We’ve been here since 5 p.m. and we’r

e still enjoyingourselves.”  The event lasted for three hours and attracted a fairly large crowd of spectators.

Some of the most notable costumesincluded Sebastian from “The Little Mermaid,” Captain Jack Sparrow from“Pirates of the Caribbean” and a British Bulldog shark with a talentfor skateboarding.  

One doggy costume in particular,Hannibal Lecter, managed to steal the show and had everyone on theirtippytoes attempting to get a peak at him. As Barron said the famousline, “Well, hello, Clarice,” dog owner Glena DeJong wheeled out herItalian Greyhound, Hershey, on a homemade stretcher. With his littlestraitjacket and Lecter face mask, Hershey rolled passed the judgingtable and into first place.

“Last year, we told ours

elves that we would win this year’s competition,” Djong said.  Hersheyand Djong were awarded free dog food, a $50 gift certificate to PreussPets and three free days of boarding at Wag N’ Tails Pet Resort.

 “Thatwas definitely one of my favorite costumes,” said Melik Brown, MidwestCommunications marketing consultant and contest judge. Brown and histhree fellow judges agreed that Ben Park and his Great Dane Apolo wouldwalk away in second place for their King Leonidas and warrior dogcostumes. 

“I came with my wife and 3- year-old son,” Park said. “We’re mainly here to have fun.”

Jeff Hammer/City Pulse

Mariah Puente and her dog Sparkles joined the Dog Halloween festivities in Old Town Friday evening.