Shelter Pets Wear Halloween Costumes to Find Forever Homes—and the Photos Are So Sweet
How festive costumes are helping shelter pets capture hearts and find their forever homes
Key Takeaways
- Shelters are dressing up rescue dogs and cats in festive costumes to boost adoptions.
- Fun photo shoots help harder-to-adopt pets, like pit bulls and black cats, get noticed.
- Many animal sanctuaries offer reduced or waived adoption fees during the Halloween season.
Animal shelters and sanctuaries are always finding new ways to introduce pets in need to their new forever families. But one especially fun and clever ‘trick’ is to dress the dogs and cats up in costumes for Halloween. It’s a surefire way to show folks just what a ‘treat’ having a pet can be. Here, Operation Kindness shares their story with Woman’s World.
“They’re going to love you,” Operation Kindness worker Lilly Watson told the terrier mix named Sunny, who was waiting in the Carrollton, Texas, animal shelter for his new forever family.
The end of the COVID-19 pandemic had brought a lull in visitors to Operation Kindness and other animal shelters and sanctuaries. As people returned to offices and started spending more time away from home, they no longer felt a need for furry companionship. In fact, some animals found themselves back in shelters, their owners saying they could no longer care for them.
Introducing the dogs and cats to the public is the best way to encourage adoption, shelter workers have known for years. So they revved up their tried-and-true efforts of posting pet photos on their websites and in local newspapers and sending shelter volunteers to TV stations to show off available dogs and cats. And for Halloween, they came up with a special treat.
Dressed up in love for Halloween
“At Operation Kindness, we’re always thinking of ways to give our animals attention and enrich their lives,” says CEO Ed Jaminson. “A Halloween costume party seemed like a great way for us to show our shelter dogs how special we think they are.” And with the help of generous animal lovers who donated costumes, the cuteness factor at the shelter skyrocketed, and the workers hoped adoptions would soar too.
Costumes were matched to dogs based on size, which, sometimes, led to some comical pairings.
“It’s time for your close-up,” Lilly led pup Sunny to co-worker Arpisara Hangtagool, who doubles as the shelter’s pet photographer. Sunny was decked out in a Dumbo costume, and as Arpisara announced, “Say candy corn kibble!” Sunny tilted his head as though to question, Do you think my ears are way too big for my body?
Behind the scenes of the most adorable photo shoots
Next, a white mixed pup named Chuck posed with patriotic pride after volunteers transformed him into Captain America. His kennel buddy, Sundae, wasn’t quite as thrilled when his shelter fairy godmothers turned him into a pumpkin. Go ahead, just try to laugh at me, his eyes glared as he mugged for the camera.
Meanwhile, workers and volunteers at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, were also focusing camera lenses on the adoptable dogs and cats at their facility.
“Arrgh!” Brittany Notaro, Manager of Cat World at Best Friends, laughed as she dressed a gray tabby named Woodrow in a Captain Hook costume. Looking out at his shelter mates, Woodrow snarled in his best pirate purr.
Undeterred, Moooove over! black-and-white kitty Bryce, looking cuddly cute in a cow costume, meowed, stepping up to the camera.
Seeing animals looking adorable can be especially helpful for the harder-to-adopt crowd, like pit bulls and black cats.
After the photo sessions, the organizations posted the portraits on their social media, and the pics and bios were liked and shared over and over.
Happy ‘tails’ of hope for sweet pets
“Zombie alert!” one little boy exclaimed when his mom showed him the Catahoula mix named Evergreen on the Best Friends website. “Can we adopt him?” he asked, and soon Evergreen was off to a wonderful new life — leaving the zombie garb behind so the costume can be used again next October to scare up a loving girl or boy.
And he was just one of many happy “tails” last year.
Operation Kindness, Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and other shelters across the country plan to liven up this Halloween season with more festive friends hoping to find their forever families. An added incentive: Many reduce or eliminate adoption fees during the holidays.
“It’s a fun way to get our pets in front of the community and encourage adoptions,” says Michelle Sathe, Best Friends Public Relations & Marketing Strategist. She urges every animal lover to take a look. Even if you’re not planning to adopt, seeing the animals dressed up is a real treat — and you might just fall in love!
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