SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Surrounded by laughter and wagging tails, pet owners and their furry friends gathered in creative costumes to celebrate the season and support a local dog rescue.
Helping Hounds Dog Rescue hosted its 15th annual Pumpkins and Pooches on Oct. 5, featuring a bake sale, food trucks, music, a raffle, and the highlight of the day—the costume contest. Vendors also showcased homemade dog treats and customized leashes. Owners and their pets also had the opportunity to participate in a free obedience training demo.
“People seem to enjoy bringing their dogs and just enjoying the day and the vendors. There’s not always stuff to do with your dogs and kids, so this seems to be a very popular event for people to come to because the whole family can come, even the dogs,” said executive director Kathy Gilmore.
This year’s event had a special twist, with election season approaching. Families could donate between $5 and $100 to have their dogs campaign for office. Their dog’s photo and slogan were displayed on campaign signs.
The costume contest is the most popular part of the event, according to Gilmore. Families dress up in costumes, often matching their dogs.
The challenges
With the rescue being completely funded by donations, events like Pumpkins and Pooches are crucial to spread awareness about the challenges that shelters are facing. Animal shelters in Central New York are dealing with severe overcrowding, especially since the pandemic.
“Since COVID, we have struggled to get to a thousand adoptions. We’re right around a thousand a year. It’s about half of what we used to do,” said Gilmore.
Financial inaccessibility for spaying and neutering is the main contributor to the overpopulation. Fundraisers like Pumpkin and Pooches help pay for those operations so that dogs are more likely to be adopted. Helping Hounds also addresses other medical needs, according to longtime volunteer Eddie. If a dog comes in with a broken leg, the rescue will coordinate and pay for that operation. The majority of their donations go to veterinary bills to help increase the chances for a dog to be adopted.
While health care assistance helps dogs find homes, adoption times vary. A list of available dogs is on the Helping Hounds website, updated weekly with picture, breed, sex, and other information.
“A lot of dogs stay here zero days, and some dogs, maybe a hundred days, very few, but they all have found a home,” said Eddie.
The community
After retiring from teaching, Eddie decided to fill her time by volunteering at the rescue. She and her partner have also adopted a dog from the rescue, and have been very involved for the past 11 years.
“You find your niche here. We all love it. I do the mornings and a lot of people don’t want to get up and clean up dog poop at eight o’clock,” she said.
The Helping Hounds community is tight-knit, with many families returning to events, donating, or volunteering. Rick and Peggy, dressed in matching bumblebee costumes with their dog, adopted their pet 5 years ago and attend Pumpkins and Pooches every year to celebrate.
“The costumes are fantastic. They’re so creative and it’s just so fun. Beautiful to see all the dogs and everybody’s just having so much fun,” said Peggy.
Founded in 2008 by a group of citizens determined to save a beagle and her pups from euthanasia, Helping Hounds grew as more dogs needed help.
“I think what makes this rescue special are the people that surround it. The volunteers, the staff, the compassion and heart is just amazing. It’s an energy that’s indescribable,” said Gilmore.
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Paw-some costumes and community spirit at Helping Hounds’ Pumpkins and Pooches
Eddie (volunteer): Pumpkins and Pooches is our largest fundraiser. Its intention is both to raise money and to bring the community together, but particularly people who are adopted dogs. Pumpkins and Pooches, as a fun thing and a fundraiser, any donation from, I think it’s 5 to 100, you get to donate, you get to say your dog’s name, send a picture, and what their campaign promise would be.
The donations don’t go for profit. They go to the community. They go to pay for rent, they go to pay for staff, they go through surgery. It all gets syphoned back into the dog community, which is just wonderful. A lot of dogs stay here zero days. And some dogs, maybe a hundred days. Very few, but they all have found a home.
Peggy (attendee): She was rescued from here. And we come to the Halloween party every year to celebrate being a rescue from Helping Hounds. The costumes are fantastic. They’re so creative and it’s just beautiful to see all the dogs and everybody’s just having so much fun.
Rick (attendee): Beautiful day for it too.
By Mikayla Melo