Downtown Naperville was all bark and no bite as man’s best friend took to the streets for the annual Two Bostons Trick-Or-Treat Pet Parade on Oct. 29.
Nearly two decades of celebration
“This is our 18th year of doing the trick-or-treat parades in downtown Naperville. It’s always a highlight of our year for us, for our team, and for our customers,” AdreAnne Tesene, Two Bostons co-owner, said.
Four-legged friends and their owners sported their spookiest and most spirited costumes for the occasion. They walked through the city in two waves; the first at 5:30 p.m. and the second at 6:30 p.m.
Two Bostons said 400 dogs and their families showed up to participate.
Costume contest
The parade also features a costume contest, with prizes for “Most Creative,” “Best Group,” and “Best Overall.”
“I’m the one in charge of deciding the winners, and even for this first parade tonight, it’s really tough,” Tesene said. “I’m just really looking for things that stand out.”
Toy poodle Sunshine Ray and her owner, Jori Kopacek, earned one of the night’s six awards for their Kentucky Fried Chicken-themed costume.
“Super exciting. Very excited. This is our first Halloween, so it’s definitely going to be a memorable one,” Kopacek said.
Treats for pets, owners
The parade route featured stops at 12 different businesses, each one handing out treats for the dogs to enjoy.
“We always start with the roll of poop bags just in case of emergencies. But then our amazing vendors will donate some of the treats as well,” Tesene said. “So whether it’s wild weenies or, you know, different freeze-dried treats, that type of thing… So we make sure we find something that the dogs will absolutely love.”
Several locations also gave out treats for pet owners.
A barkingly paw-sitive experience
Participant Catherine Puglisi says the night was a positive experience for both her and her dog, dressed up as a racecar-driving canine.
“People are so friendly, and everybody loves animals, and it just makes my heart melt. We love it,” Puglisi said.
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