The best costumes from Halloween dog parades

The Halloween dog parade is one of those things that always lives up to the hype. Who can resist the appeal of a dog as the vehicle for their owner's creative costume expression? Whether the dogs are thrilled by the adoring attention, blissfully unaware of their participation in the joke, or begrudgingly humoring their owner with a grumpy look, it's all delightful.

While the one in Tompkins Square Park in New York City is the most famous, Halloween dog parades now take place all over. They're technically contests, but every dog in costume is a winner in our book. Here are some of our favorites, even if they didn't take home the prize.

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Apparently, you're supposed to kill invasive lanternflies if you see one. This puts a whole new spin on the horror movie villain trope.

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The bodega cat is iconic in New York City for keeping rats out of convenience stores (aka bodegas). This little dog doesn't look thrilled to be dressed up as a cat, but they really nailed the assignment.

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Let's just hope this princess is secure on her tower of mattresses.

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How can you not find this dog's costume "a-peel-ing"?

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Even the Mar-a-Lago documents look cute in this context.

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Call me crazy, but this pup seems to be acting the part of the doomed little boy in It.

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The friendliest killer doll you've ever seen.

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This little guy is raising hell and stealing hearts at the same time.

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A masterclass in playing to one's strengths, this dog already looks like a lion and needed only one accessory to nail the costume.

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Pugs are already kind of like of aliens, so this one works on multiple levels.

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This is a furry spider we wouldn't mind petting.

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