This year, you all were creepy and you were kooky. Mysterious and spooky. Really, we just feel altogether ooky we weren’t able to crown all of you the Pumpkin King!
We had no shortage of truly spook-tacular entries (even though that actually may have made our jobs slightly harder).
Alas, though everyone who entered is a winner, the judges have spoken. It’s time to reveal the results of our annual pet costume contest.
Here’s how our 2017 Muenster’s Monsters Halloween Photo Contest shook out:
Judge’s Favorite
The meticulously painted-on scales of this fire breathing “Dragon” had us on the edge of our seat. With the addition of a matching Fairy handler, our judges were enchanted to the point of no return. Joska E., a KFPS/FHANA registered Friesian Gelding, has the courage of a lamb.
Here’s what owner Julee Kula had to say:
“A lot of things scare Joska but not costumes. I could paint him and dress him up all day and he’d love it. The photo was taken at the Diamond T Arena in Denton, TX. Our Friesian Chapter, South Central Friesian Horse Association/SCFHA had a Halloween Party. It was a party where both horse and their human had to wear a costume.
One of Joska’s favorite tricks was to open his gate then open his buddies’ gates so they could all go and find greener pasture. He was trained to do the Spanish walk with sugar cubes, his favorite treat. He learned it so well that any time his trainer came near him, he’d start to Spanish walk. He’s a funny guy.”
Most Votes
This Dorothy/Scarecrow combo proved too cute to resist and took home the gold with a whopping total of 107 votes.
Here’s what Dorothy’s mom had to say:
“This is my 6-year-old daughter and her 14-year-old pony, POPCORN! We have had popcorn for almost 8 years and he is actually a famous pony, he makes visits to special needs hospitals, school story times and trips to the library.
My daughter rides popcorn every year for trick or treating, he will walk right up onto the porch and ring the doorbell with his nose.
Popcorn is “housebroken” and can come inside. If you’re not careful, he will eat ALLL THE SNACKS! His favorite horse treats are homemade but his favorite human treat is birthday cake.”
Such a selfless equine deserves all the snacks he can get his hooves on. Enjoy, little buddy!
Honorable Mentions
What’s the only thing that makes a super hero horse more awesome? A handmade costume. This Paint Horse named Princess dressed as Captain America. The costume was completely hand-sewn (except the halter and shield) by the owner.
Cheers to both the horse and handler for a job well done!
We Yabba Dabba DO like the creative interpretation of this Flinstones cosplay. Bonus points for props and, for future reference, this enviable commitment level is how you Halloween, folks.
Most Likes
It’s a ‘tail’ as old as time. Girl meets beast, pair wins this costume contest with the most votes. Based on their internet fandom, we’d say these two are gearing up for a very sweet happily ever after. Oh, and that costume on the Great Dane? Yeah, it’s hand-sewn. Brava!
Best Cat
“Vant a drink with DracuLou?” Owner Christiana Viscusi is happy to oblige.
Here’s all the bloody details:
His name is Louie and we adopted him from a local shelter about 4 months ago. He’s a 3-year-old Persian/Turkish Van mix. If you want to, have a laugh at this is a video of him in it. It’s a very rare Count DracuLou sighting during daylight hours.
Louie loves racing around the house playing in his crinkle tunnels, jumping for his wand toys, and sitting on his mama’s lap watching birds on our porch.
Best Homemade
Generally, best home-made dog, Apollo, is a lover, not a fighter. Still, with a name like Apollo, you knew he had to be bound for the skies. Apollo, 10-year-old male Chusky (chow/husky mix), was adopted from a local shelter 4 years ago and is loved by many.
Here’s what dog mom, Jennifer Tinsley, had to say about his homemade WorldWar fighter pilot/plane costume:
“I made the plane out of foam board. I cut the wings and used the remainder for the flaps. I spray painted the plane grey and then sponged an antique silver paint over for a worn look. I then painted the pinup and plane name. I cut a flap in the bottom wind and slid under his harness to hold it in place. I purchased his scarf and aviator cap with goggles.
Apollo’s favorite tricks are high diving and catching treats. His favorite thing is just to be loved on. He is a cuddler! He is so patient with children and loves to be hugged.”
Best Dog
Sophie, a 3-year-old Labrador and Border Collie mix, the Scuba Diver made a big splash on our judges. Really, it’s not hard to see why. Anchors away girl!
She is a service dog specifically trained to help her owner every day.
“I made Sophie’s costume by painting two water bottles and taping them down to one of her service dog vests without the patches on it. I then bought a piece of foam yellow paper and cut it into flippers and taped them on some dog booties! We borrowed the snorkel and mask
Sophie loves working as a hearing alert service dog. She gets so excited to go to work. We are in nursing school together and I think her favorite place to go is either the library or to class. Her favorite trick is probably spin or sit up.”
Funniest
We could hear the judges outright cackling when they received the contest submission for Junior as Prince.
Here’s more about the little man behind the Jheri curl:
“Junior is a 10-year-old Pomeranian– a big sweet boy from Louisiana! He was born at home and almost didn’t make it because he was so big, but I got him to breathe and what a wonderful gift I got! His hobbies are camping and riding to the bank with mom on Fridays; everybody knows his name! I made this for him to wear on Halloween. The picture was taken at our home in the front yard with a lot of neighbors watching and laughing. Junior is a sweet laid-back dog that is trying to get used to his new little sister. The highlight of his day is when his human daddy comes in from work. He sings very loudly and then gets his treat.”
