The pure white beauty of my little female spitz, Sharla, deserved to be played up, so I decided she would go to this party as a beauty queen. The sweetness of my toy fox terrier, Susie, would be magnified by dressing her as a baby.
When we arrived, all the "oohs" and "aahs" proved how beautiful Sharla was. She glided through the torch-lit gateway, in all her elegance, wearing a silver-edged, glittering pink cape and a diamond-studded tiara. Across her cape stretched a banner reading, "Miss K-9 USA".
Susie was the image of innocence in her lacy pink baby bonnet and shirt. A pacifier dangled from her collar. The little tail, suspiciously protruding from a hole strategically cut in the Pamper she wore, may have been the only hint that she really was a fox terrier.
As we mixed and mingled under the stars, I spotted other characters including a bumblebee, a witch, a ghost, and a German Shepherd posing as a policeman. Humans also donned various costumes. The laughter of children, the occasional excited doggy bark and the hum of conversation drifted away on the air. Looking around at the games specifically tailored for doggy enjoyment, I savored the company of other folks who treated their pets as family members.
Susie loved the "weenie dunk". She boldly dove her pointed little muzzle into the tub of water several times to retrieve weenies. Treasure chests filled with straw held hidden treats for the pooches who hunted them out.
Then we were off to the haunted house. Black plastic doors flapping in the breeze, spooked Susie right away, so I scooped her up and held her close. She looked a bit cock-eyed at the skeleton and the stuffed coyote but nothing else phased her much. Sharla remained quite sophisticated on her trip through the haunted house, as would be expected of any beauty queen worth her banner.
Then it was time for the costume contest. All the pets paraded their "get-ups". Susie had trouble keeping her diaper up. It kept wanting to slide down over her rump. The judges whispered, discussed and finally agreed on which pet deserved the prize. Of course it was the beauty queen! Sharla graciously accepted her 5 lb box of milkbones, but declined the invitation to make a speech.
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