Making the Scene at Pug-O-Ween

What do you get when you mix more than 700 people and hundreds of pugs decked out in costumes that range from a fairy princess to a bumble bee? If you said loads of laughs, you’re right. If you said tons of fun, you’re also right. And if you said the 18th annual Pug-O-Ween, then you’re right on target with the official name of the party that went down Oct. 26 at the Grapevine Convention Center. We took the puggies to the party for the first time ever and they had a blast.

The DFW Pug Rescue Club, Inc., gets credit for putting on this annual celebration where pugs, and their owners, can get dressed up, hang out and strut their stuff. And there was plenty of strutting going on. One of the highlights of the event is the costume contest, which doles out first place trophies for winners in various age groups and categories.

First Place Winners

• Batty Baby Group: Slice of Pizza Pug
• Middle-Age Monster Group: Peacock Pug
• Scary Senior Group: Vampire Pug (who happens to be foster pug Jazzy)
• Group Costumes: Star Wars Pugs
• Float Group: Flintstones Fred and Wilma Pug

And just because a decked-out pug didn’t get a trophy doesn’t mean their creative costumes went unnoticed. People have already been sharing gads of Pug-O-Ween photos online, with plenty available for viewing on the DFW Pug Rescue Facebook page. Take a gander and you’ll see pugs dressed up as Superman, a spider, a centipede, an American flag , an angel and a devil – and this year’s Pug-O-Ween would have been wholly incomplete without the pug outfitted as reggae king Bob Marley.

Can’t-Miss Event

With a history that spans nearly two decades, the annual Pug-O-Ween is not just a passing phase. Nor is it an event that many area pug lovers would ever dare do without. Some make it a yearly can’t-miss family outing, bringing both their two-legged and four-legged kids to enjoy.

While the main aim of the event is to celebrate pugs while having a ball, it also serves double duty as a benefit for the DFW Pug Rescue. The organization lives by the motto of “No Pug Left Behind,” and has been rescuing pugs of all shapes, sizes, ages and health statuses since 1997.

As the largest pug rescue in the area, DFWPRC rescues an average of 10 pugs a week from Texas, Louisiana and parts of New Mexico. Pug-O-Ween is super cool, and just one of the group’s amazing activities.