Their boo is worse than their bite.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of four-legged New Yorkers \u2014 and thousands more onlookers \u2014 took to Manhattan\u2019s streets in a cavalcade of costumes Sunday as part of the 35th annual Halloween Dog Parade.<\/p>\n
Shirley Lee pushes \u201cPresident\u201d Tofu during the 35th annual Halloween Dog Parade near Tompkins Square Park on Sunday. Michael Nagle<\/p>\n
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Frankie Sinatra of Southampton rides in style in a red toy airplane. Michael Nagle<\/p>\n
The quirky East Village tradition trekking down Avenue B featured show-stopping pooches in elaborate looks inspired by the likes of the Moulin Rouge, Guns N\u2019 Roses, Barbie and even the president.<\/p>\n
Among the dolled-up doggies was 8-year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Frankie Sinatra of Long Island.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got [him] the pilot costume one year for Halloween,\u201d said Frankie\u2019s owner, Lucy Adragna, of Southampton, who works assisting real-life aviators at Republic Airport in Farmingdale. \u201cI dress him up every year, and it grew into doing parades. \u2026 He loves all the attention.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maria, dressed as Barbie, sits in a pink toy car. Michael Nagle<\/p>\n
Rachel McCaslin, 30, of Gowanus, was with her recently rescued pup Daphne, who was dressed as Nerds Gummy Clusters candy.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople love dogs, this just makes people smile,\u201d McCaslin said. \u201cIt\u2019s joy, and we need it now more than ever.\u201d<\/p>\n
Scores of dog-free revelers also flocked to the pooch parade, with 24-year-old West Village resident Emma Garman proudly proclaiming, \u201cWe\u2019re dog enthusiasts\u201d as she waited by the barricade for the parade to start.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cI love it, I keep coming back every year \u2014 and I bring other people with me,\u201d said pal Miranda Fairbanks.<\/p>\n
East Village resident Theo Tittle said, \u201c<\/strong>I think [the parade] brings people together.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s hard to find community sometimes,\u201d Tittle, 23, said. \u201cPeople with their dogs in New York are a bit careful and shelter their dogs.<\/p>\n Ryan Howard and dog Pumpkin go for a horror twist for their costume. Michael Nagle<\/p>\n \u201cBut I feel like today it\u2019s breaking that barrier and letting people interact with them.\u201d<\/p>\n The organizers of the event, the nonprofit New York Dog Parade, said the offbeat event\u2019s attendance has seen \u201csoaring\u201d numbers in recent years \u2013 with it now recognized as the largest Halloween dog celebration in the world.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\tStart your day with all you need to know\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMorning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tThanks for signing up!\n\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \u201cCommunity events that center on joy and silliness are worth holding onto \u2014 especially right now,\u201d New York Dog Parade founder Fern Watt said in a statement.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYes, the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade is about dressing your pup in a beautiful, sometimes even statement-making costume, but it\u2019s also about celebrating our friendship with dogs \u2014 the companions who make our city and our lives happier every day.\u201d<\/p>\n A pair of rockin\u2019 pooches make it to the finals round with their Guns N\u2019 Roses-themed costumes. Michael Nagle<\/p>\n French bulldog Earle masquerades as \u201cDoggy Parton\u201d for the costume competition. REUTERS<\/p>\n