SANTA FE — Who doesn’t love a treat? Dogs definitely do! In the spirit of Halloween and all the treats that come with it, Assistance Dogs of the West is holding their annual HOWL-O-WEEN costume contest, a donation giving extravaganza to help buy the thousands of treats it takes to train a service dog!
Everyone is invited to dress up their pups in their goofiest or spookiest outfits and submit a photo online. Then, it’s up to voters to donate $5, $50, $500, whatever they like, to vote for who will be top dog this year! Prizes will be awarded to the top three dogs collecting the most monetary donations in their treat bags, and of course barking rights go to the winner!
“ADW canines learn through positive reinforcement, making treats an important parts of each dog’s 1,500 training hours," ADW Executive Director Linda Milanesi said. "Our pups will each go through thousands of treats before they meet their people and begin their life of service. We couldn’t think of a more appropriate way to educate the community about all the treats needed to raise a service dog than on HOWL-O-WEEN!”
ADW raises and trains service dogs for a multitude of purposes, including canines to work with veterans with PTSD and mobility challenges, as well as empowering children and elders to tell their stories within the court system allowing justice to be served.
To take part in this life-changing mission, submit a photo of a pooch pooch at AssistanceDogsOfTheWest.org through Oct. 23. Voting via donations begins on Oct. 25 and runs through Halloween.
