BY COLIN MIXSON
Dozens of debonair dogs competed for a chance at an all-inclusive resort experience at The Salty Paw dog spa on Peck Slip, which hosted its 9th-annual canine costume contest on Sunday.
The masquerading menagerie featured Beanie Baby bichons, giraffe bull dogs, leopard pugs, and a sea-faring dachshund in an event spectators described in no uncertain terms as awfully adorable.
“It was the cutest thing ever,” said Angelee Miranda, master of the Beanie Baby tagged maltese-bichon mix, Bailey.
Most of the canine contestants were regular customers at the Peck Slip dog spa, and with free coffee and grooming on the line, the stakes were high.
But despite the allure of fame and free prizes, the pups managed to keep things civil and focused on the simple pleasures, such as sniffing butts and making friends, according to Miranda.
“The community of dogs get together and its really nice and fun,” she said. “The kids come and all the dogs get to hang out for two hours.”
The Salty Paw’s annual Halloween costume bash has, by luck, traditionally fallen on fair-weather days, and this year was no exception, with unusually warm weather and clear skies that enticed pet lovers to dine with their dogs at nearby cafes when they weren’t gawking at the obscene levels of twee, according to the pet spa’s owner.
“The weather was ridiculous,” said Amanda Zink. “We have a few eateries next door, and everybody was sitting outside eating with their dogs. It was a win-win for everybody.”
The dog spa partnered with Grounds and Hounds Coffee Company to benefit Social Tees, a New York City animal rescue group that Salty Paw provides grooming services for, Zink said.