INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — Patient pooches, outfitted as everything from butterflies and bees to pixies and pirates, got an early jump on Halloween, strutting their stuff last Saturday at the 13th annual Howl-O-Ween Dog Costume Pawrade & Pet Expo to benefit Dogs for Life, Inc.
“It has been non-stop all day long,” said Katie Kowanic, DFL Administrative and Fund Development director, watching as dogs of every size and variety wandered around the 4-acre DFL Off-Leash Dog Park, accompanied to music by the Rip Tides.
Tails were in constant motion and noses in a state of sensory overload during doggie meet and greets.
Even with all the added distractions, all were on their very best behavior, displaying true puppy love and one inventive costume after another.
Some let the dogs take center stage, while others augmented their pets’ outfits with their own creative get-ups.
Before the Pawrade, Darel, a retired bomb dog and now Pet Assisted Therapy dog and his trainer/handler L.A. Bykowsky gave a demonstration of his skills.
Many of the DFL service dogs have been rescued from local shelters, and some of the most poignant ‘costumes’ were simple ‘Adopt Me’ vests worn by several Humane Society dogs.
The occasion also offered an opportunity for visitors to tour the newly constructed Assistance Dog Training & Administrative Center, which opened over the summer.
“We’re thrilled to be showing off the Training Center,” said Shelly Ferger, DFL founder and CEO.
Dogs for Life trains hearing and service dogs, offers programs for Veteran Dog Training and Pet-Assisted Therapy, and offers basic obedience and behavior classes to the general public.
DFL hopes to raise $100,000 by the end of the year, which an anonymous donor has pledged to match. Donor levels from $1,000 to $100,000 or more will be recognized on the Donor Recognition “Tree of Life,” painted by Teri Barrett and prominently displayed in the Training Center lobby.
“I grabbed her Halloween Costume but I didn’t grab her service vest,” laughed Dawn Taylor, sitting with husband Jim, as Pia Pia, a sweet little pug wiggled in her arms.
When her vest is on, Pia Pia is all business. Despite her diminutive size, Pia Pia, duel certified in hearing loss and post-traumatic stress syndrome, has made an enormous difference in the life of Jim Taylor, a former Army Staff Sergeant who served in Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Theirs was the first veterans’ dog team trained and certified by Dogs for Life.
