Owners and dogs alike joined Shake and Shine, a Bellingham dog groomer and pet shop, in their 3rd annual "Hal-O-Ween" Dog Parade on Railroad Avenue and Commercial Street on Oct. 27.
Lions, tigers, bears and more hit the street to raise funds for Shadow’s Forever Friends, an organization made to support groups like the Whatcom Humane Society and Old Dog Haven. This is done by distributing the funds raised by events like the "Howl-O-Ween" parade.
Shadow’s Forever Friends also facilitate emergency veterinary care for people who can’t afford it, according to April Yantzer, a front desk assistant at the event. Jason and Jennifer Sonker started the organization in 2011 in the spirit of their adopted dog Shadow, who died in a tragic accident. Since then, the Sonkers have been putting events together to raise money for local humane societies and dog adoption clinics.
Many of the parade contestants were no strangers to the adoption process. Adopted dogs of all breeds and ages were there to share the festivities.
One owner, Emily Klein, rescued her dog, Lark, from an organization called Save a Mutt in Stanwood, Wash., only a few months ago. Lark was the second dog that Klein rescued from Save a Mutt.
“She’s a little overstimulated,” Klein said. “But we take her out to events like this to get her more acclimated to crowds. She’s always been a shy girl.”
Stephanie Santiago brought her two “pocket bullies,” Nola and Finn, to help the dogs practice their social skills. Finn is a very new addition to their family at only six months old. Santiago’s dog trainer at Whispering X K9 Training Academy in Bellingham recommended that she take the two out together so they can acclimate to busy environments as a pair. The "Howl-O-Ween" parade did exactly that for her two pups, she said.
You can learn more about events put on by Shake and Shine at their website. More details about Shadow’s Forever Friends can be found at https://www.shadowsforeverfriends.org.
Vanessa Ewart-Northrop (she/her) is a city life reporter for The Front this quarter. She is a third-year Journalism major with a NewsEd focus. In her free time, Vanessa likes to see live music, do crafts with her friends and spend time with her cat Pigeon. You can reach her at vanessaewartnorthrop.thefront@gmail.com.
