For many dog owners, Halloween is an excuse to dress their pooches as outrageously as possible — and these sample looks from the 21st annual Tompkins Square Dog Parade last weekend don’t disappoint. Use the costume ideas here to inspire a crazy get-up for your own pet’s spooky night out.
PHOTOS: DOGS IN HALLOWEEN COSTUMES
SISSY AS HURRICANE IRENE
“Sissy is a two-time hurricane survivor,” says her owner, Don Niennas of Brooklyn. “We adopted her after Hurricane Katrina, and now she’s lived through Irene. We made the base blue to look like the Hudson and East rivers with Manhattan in the center (on her back), and there’s the hurricane hovering over her.”
SPARTA AS “THAT DOGGIE IN THE WINDOW”
“The song ‘How Much Is That Doggie in the Window?’ popped in my head,” says Tammy Foy from the Upper West Side. “I thought, ‘That’s a great costume idea!’ I bought some lumber and ordered Plexiglas, and made it look like it was a dog store. Then I put it all on wheels so we could push her around. But she’s definitely not for sale.”
JACK AS DOGGIE DRAPER
“We’re huge ‘Mad Men’fans,” says Jack’s owner, Katie Shipsides of Battery Park. “Plus, Jack is quite the lady’s man— women are always stopping to pet him—so it seemed appropriate. No Don Draper costume is complete without a drink and a cigarette!”
DIESEL AS THE A TRAIN
“We live in Washington Heights, so we take the A train all the time,” says Diesel’s owner, Stephanie Stehman. “The train itself is just a box covered in duct tape. Then we placed the rat up top—I think it makes the costume!”