After going virtual last year due to staff shortages, the annual Howl-o-Ween Pooch Parade was back in person Wednesday, Oct. 15, filling the Battle Ground Event Center with barking, laughter and plenty of creative costumes.
Hosted by Battle Ground Parks and Recreation, the event drew almost 30 canine contestants and their owners, many dressed in matching Halloween gear. Every participant received a goody bag with treats donated by All Natural Pet Supply, Wilco and Battle Ground Barkery.
Six award categories gave dogs and their humans a chance to shine. Best in Show went to BB Barnes, who trotted across the stage dressed as a police officer and received a $450 gift basket donated by VCA Battle Ground Animal Hospital. Most Unique was awarded to Ollie, a lab dressed as William Wallace from “Braveheart,” earning a $100 gift basket from Paws Cascadia. Best Dog-Human Duo went to Mona and her owner, who appeared as Little Bo Peep and her sheep, winning a $100 gift card donated by Troy McCoy Insurance Agency.
The Parks and Recreation Choice award went to Marley, who showed up as a lion alongside his “lion tamer” owner, earning a $50 Wilco gift card. The People’s Choice went to Henry, a Pomeranian dressed as a mad scientist, complete with tiny potion bottles and lab decor. The Mayor’s Choice award went to a different dog named Henry, dressed in a dapper gray and orange suit. Henry’s owner took home a bag large enough to carry Henry, crafted by Battle Ground Mayor Troy McCoy’s wife.
“Battle Ground always shows up,” McCoy told The Reflector after the show. “I’m just super proud of our Parks and Rec for doing all the work, so they’re really stars of this show, even though everybody thinks it’s the dogs.”
For Recreation and Facilities Manager Joanna Martin, who hosted the event for the first time this year, seeing the turnout and community support was a highlight.
“We actually ended up with 30 registrations,” Martin said. “We had a couple of dogs that got grounded for being naughty, so they weren’t able to come tonight, but we had a great audience turnout.”
Martin said one of the biggest changes this year was adding a QR code voting system for the People’s Choice Award, letting attendees cast votes online.
“My goal was to streamline it and have good communication with everybody that was involved, and just make sure it’s a pleasant experience,” she said.
Sponsors and local businesses stepped up in a big way, Martin said, allowing organizers to offer high-value prizes without major fundraising.
“You know, it’s to be able to say we gave a gift away or a prize away for $450 — like that doesn’t happen,” Martin said. “The registration for people to participate was $10. The goody bag they each got was probably valued closer to $15, so every single person walked away with more than they paid to get here.”
Martin credited Grand Marshals Lt. Jason Purdue and Rafferty, the police station’s comfort dog, as well as local sponsors, for helping make the night a success.
“What I was so impressed by was not only just participant turnout and audience turnout, but how the sponsors showed up and the different businesses were so generous with what they donated, with very little ask,” she said. “Most communities, I have to really work hard to get donations, and this was an easy ask all the way across the board.”
The event’s People’s Choice winner, Kayla, who declined to share her last name, said she was humbled by the honor Henry, dressed as a Mad Scientist, took.
“Oh, it kind of made my day,” she said. “I went from work to celebrating my little dog going, ‘look what you did, buddy.’”
Kayla participated in the 2023 event, opting out when it went virtual. She said she was happy to learn the pooch parade is continuing in person, and plans to remain a part of the tradition.
“We will definitely be back,” she said. “It’s our second year doing this.”
Martin said she hopes to expand the parade next year into a larger community celebration.
“The thought is to grow it into something where we have vendors and we have other activities so it can be more festival feeling,” she said. “Still take the idea of this and how amazing this is and just grow it into something even bigger and better.”
