PetFlow Howloween!

Toby & Tater’s mom here to tell you how PetFlow is celebrating Halloween
(A.K.A. Howl-O-Ween) this year!

Halloween has long been a favorite holiday of mine. As a kid, it was the signal that the holiday season had arrived along with all the fun the last three months of the year brings. It was also the one time of year I felt confident enough to step outside of my shell and be someone else; a wicked witch, mystical fortune-telling gypsy, even Casper.

Costumes: Both human & Pet!

As an adult, not much has changed. Halloween signals a month-long celebration of decorating the heck out of my home and a day (or several) of getting to let my inner geek out and dress up. My costumes have gotten more elaborate over the years and my excitement with the season more profound. In the past, I’ve tried to include my furry four-legged companions in my fun. What’s cuter than matching or complementary costumes with your cat or dog? Unfortunately, my pets were never keen on the idea of dressing up for me. Any costume quickly became a tug toy, torn to bits or in the case of our cats, hidden and never to be seen again. Luckily, my team at PetFlow is comprised of all pet parents and we were able to find pets willing to participate!

PetFlow’s Howl-O-Ween Party

When I started working at PetFlow earlier this year one of my first questions after settling in was what’s the Halloween Party like? I was quickly tagged to organize my favorite celebration of the year. Total score, although with a high bar to hit since I do work with several fellow Halloween enthusiasts. The only requirement is that we have a Pet Costume Contest (although we will be having a Human Costume Contest as well). It wouldn’t be a proper Halloween celebration without including our customers in our Halloween fun.

Keep an eye out, we’ll be posting our pets attired in their best costumes shortly on both our Facebook page and our Instagram. Our customers will get a unique chance to help choose PetFlow’s “Best in Costume”.

Prepping for the PetFlow PAW-TY

PetFlow’s spooky lunchroom! All decorated for the Howl-O-Ween Pawty!

Organizing has not been without its challenges. We recently moved into new digs and space is amazing. Lots of great light and enough space to have fun in. Decorating the new (much) larger office is still a work in progress, even this close to the big day. Making a fun office party during hours while still providing awesome customer experiences is also a must. Thank goodness for trivia games & costume contests. We are also having a Pumpkin Carving Contest, each pod has been challenged to work together to carve or otherwise creatively adorn a pumpkin. The challenge is that the pumpkins are foam. And I have a few other things tucked up my sleeve. Even with the challenges, the thrill of the season, and an awesome team willing to pitch in with ideas and lend a hand, make this a truly fun task. I can’t wait for the potluck! I’m looking forward to all the creepy treats, especially the Funeral Potatoes.

My Howl-O-Ween Sidekick: Toby

I also finally have a canine side-kick, Toby, who will wear a costume. I believe his years of wearing summer cooling vests and cold weather gear have made him more tolerant of wearing things in general. Now I just have to come up with something for myself and I can’t wait to see what inspires my co-workers in their choice of costumes and carving ideas.

With two fun-loving and curious dogs I always have to keep in mind that the treats I enjoy this time of year are not always appropriate for our four-legged companions. I particularly enjoy the mini-sized chocolate bars and candy corn. Yes, the reviled sweet of the day, I actually enjoy. Unfortunately, these treats are not so good for our pets so I have to remember to keep the candy bowl up high and out of the way. One of the great things about this season is pumpkins. A treat that can be enjoyed by my pups, and one I feel good giving to them. I usually roast up the excess pumpkin and make dog biscuits that Toby & Tater love.  If you’re looking for some Devilishly Delicious Dog Treat Recipes read up on our past blog post written by Archies mom, Jaine!

How do you and your pets celebrate Halloween?

So to get the season started off right, I’ll end with a bit of trivia.

Things you may or may not have known about Halloween:

  • Traditionally, turnips were used to carve into Jack’O’Laterns.
  • Americans will spend more than $350 million on costumes for their furry friends.
  • Halloween candy sales average about $2 billion dollars annually in the US; it is the second most commercially successful holiday after Christmas.

 

Geena’s dog Darla looking pretty in her Howl-O-Ween themed Jammies!