Four-legged skeletons and inmates patrolled the grass at Windsor’s Malden Park early Sunday for the return of a popular fundraiser. The Windsor Essex County Humane Society held the Hallowoof Fun Run & Walk, drawing hundreds of dogs, and even a cat, dressed to the nines in good Halloween spirit. The event was absent since 2016 and returned for the humane society’s 100th anniversary. Lynnette Bain, the humane society’s executive director, said the goal is to make the fundraiser annual. “It’s a great way to bring people together with their pets. And everyone’s passionate about their animals,” said Bain. From famous movie characters to sea animals, and even a can of pop, there was no shortage of creative dog costumes. CTV News has compiled photos of some of the animals, which can be found at the bottom of this story. Ahead of the event, participants in the run and walk were able to claim free pet costumes from Halloween Headquarters. The event was expected to surpass 200 people, which Bain said is an indicator of a healthy community. “I think this is almost even just as exciting as when you bring your kids out for trick-or-treating. So many people, their fur babies are close to their heart, and this is a great chance for them to get out and be with other people who feel the same way,” Bain explained. In the crowd of dozens of furry legs were a few former residents of the humane society. Corralling her two dogs, Baxter and Fred, Kristi Ryan said they wanted to support the cause that helped them grow their family. “We adopted Baxter from the Humane Society a couple of months ago, so we wanted to support a good cause,” Ryan explained. The trio came to the event in matching Halloween sweaters. “Don’t be afraid to adopt. Baxter’s wonderful, so it’s not a bad idea to go in there and see what they have,” Ryan added. Ahead of the start of the walk, the fundraiser had surpassed $12,000 raised without factoring in sponsorships. “That’s going to go to help caring for our animals, like the cost of medical food, housing, staff. It goes directly to helping take care of the animals in our care,” said Bain. Check out more photos of the spooky pups in CTV Windsor’s photo galleries.
