Hundreds of Calgarians attend 5th annual Pup Crawl in Kensington

Hundreds of Calgarians, both two and four-legged, made their way to Kensington Sunday afternoon for the fifth annual Pup Crawl.

It’s an event to get dogs involved in Halloween celebrations, and there was no shortage of creative costumes.

Executive director of the Kensington Business Improvement Area, Gwyneth Midgley, knows her favourite costume.

“There’s one that’s dressed up as a firefighter, that’s always cute a fire dog,” she said.

Midgley says that the event was first pitched by a small group of businesses, but over the years participation has grown significantly to over 35 local companies.

“Its a community event, but it also brings a lot of activity to the businesses here too,” she added.

The family friendly event draws in K9 enthusiasts from all over the city with dog-themed activities.

“It’s my first pup crawl,” said Colin Middleton. “I’ve heard that it’s been going on for a few years, we just thought it would be a fun thing for the family.”

Some attendees decided to dress up with their dogs… while others simply came to watch the show.

“It’s just so cute to see all the dogs in costumes. Were having a lot of fun just watching them go by… Its really nice for Halloween spirit and dog lovers, so we can’t complain,” said attendee Savannah King.

A new element to the pup crawl is the charity aspect – this year Parachutes for Pets is involved, accepting donations of lightly used items like toys or cat trees – or any kind of pet food.

Those looking to make a donation can visit You Thrifty Animal in Kensington.