Halloween has gone to the dogs (and cats). Many of you are into dressing your dogs up and having fun. So now is the chance to have some real fun and to do some serious good. There will be a pet parade and costume contest on Massachusetts Avenue with proceeds of the parade to benefit Friends of Indianapolis Animal Care & Control Foundation (FIACCFI), a 501(c)(3) organization. IACC is the city shelter that has had its budget trimmed at every turn. I recently read in The Star that they are operating with only one washer and one dryer that is used constantly and can't keep up. Way too many animals are getting euthanized because there are not enough funds to assist them. Volunteer Dawn Goliver is heading up this event with the ideas and help from Sarah Brown who has been the chairwoman for the successful Westie Walk of Indiana for the last three years. Last month 163 dogs attended that walk, led by the Gordon Pipers, from the Rivera Club through the neighborhood of Butler Tarkington to the delight of the on-looking residents. Dawn is doing a pretty remarkable thing considering that this only started coming together in September. So here's where we come in. We need to help make this first annual walk a success. You've heard the expression "what if you threw a party and nobody came". Dawn realizes that starting this up from scratch with little time means that attendance could be slim. Let's pass the word and get everybody on board and make some money for this group and all have fun. The animals need us. Here are the details.

Annual Pet Parade & Halloween Costume Contest will be on Saturday, October 29th. Registration is at 1:00 pm, the walk is at 2:00 pm, and the Costume Contest is at 3:00 pm. Register at 748 Mass Ave (grassy area). Onsite Registration Only. Cash or check only. One Dog - $10, Two or More Dogs - $15

RULES: Dog friendly dogs ONLY. Your canine friend must be properly restrained by a person(s) 18 years or older. Please ensure collars are well fitting and dog cannot slip out. No retractable leashes. All waste must be bagged and disposed of in trash receptacles. Costume contest is for canines only. Please dress your dog with their comfort in mind. Costume contest prizes will be awarded.

Route is from Firefighters Local 416, down past Three Dog Bakery, to Silver in the City and then back up to City Dogs Grocery.

And on another note, IndyHumane has sent out their media release regarding their cat overpopulation. Please read:

Information on the OctoPurr promotion can be found at:

indyhumane.org/index.php/news/octopurr

Indianapolis Animal Care and Control, the Indianapolis' city run animal shelter is also struggling with a staggering amount of cats in their system this fall.

Happy Halloween! Pets make you smile.