On Saturday, Oct. 29, local dog trainer Dave McAllister hosted a Halloween costume parade in Port Dalhousie’s Lakeside Park in which dogs were invited to dress-up alongside their owners.
The event was free to attend and served as a fundraiser for the Education Foundation of Niagara (EFN), and donations were accepted throughout the event.
McAllister, who had wished to create a fundraiser with EFN for a while, used his canine-themed creativity to make the decision to invite dressed-up dogs to the event. The dog-centric theme continued with the Lincoln County Humane Society being present with dogs available for adoption.
It would not have been a proper dog-themed event without Niagara Ice Dogs’ mascot Bones, who made an appearance as well. Treats and giveaways were available at the event, as well as prizes that were awarded for best kid costume, best dog costume and best kid/dog costume duo.
McAllister opened his dog training business in 2010, and a major goal of his is to help dogs learn to socialize with each other – an idea that was also at work within Saturday’s parade.
EFN, whose board president Wolfgang Guembel has stated that these types of fundraisers help the organization greatly, has the goal of removing barriers so each child has access to education and school experiences.
On its official website, EFN states that their mission is to provide funding and resources within the educational community where governmental support is not available.
The family-friendly event was an amazing opportunity for families, children and dogs to socialize and celebrate together.
More information on the poochy parade can be found on Niagara Dog Training’s official website.