The Boo is BACK!

The Boo is back!

Athens annual Halloween costume dog parade Boo-le-Bark on the Boulevard 2017 and Canine Carnival returns after last year's popular inaugural event. Registration opens Thursday, September 7 at 7 a.m. and is expected to sell out quickly (info below). This Friday is the deadline for Big Boo Bark sponsors who would like their name on the official poster (info below). And volunteers (info below) get an exclusive Boo-le-Bark t-shirt!

Last year we asked who doesn't love the idea of 125 costumed dogs walking down the street in a Halloween parade? Especially when it benefits their homeless canine (and feline) brothers and sisters? The answer was so overwhelming "Yes!" that they're coming back.

This October 15, Athens will host its second Halloween costume dog parade, Boo-le-Bark on the Boulevard 2017, at 3 p.m.. (rain or shine). The proceeds will benefit Athenspets.net, an all-volunteer non-profit group dedicated to helping shelter pets find permanent homes and reducing pet overpopulation in the Athens area, but the main purpose of the parade is fun and bringing the community together.

The parade--125 registered dogs and their handlers, plus families, friends and spectators--will wind throughout the beautiful Boulevard neighborhood and end at Jittery Joe’s Roaster for the post-parade Canine Carnival. This year's festivities will include music by Athens favorite (voted by Flagpole magazine and Athens Banner-Herald readers) Conner Tribble, food trucks and vendor booths, a children's play area hosted by Allegro: Lively Music for Children (another Flagpole favorite!), and a spooky fun Pet Photo BOOth by Anne Yarbrough Photography. Chase Street Elementary students are designing the official parade banner.

"I loved the idea the second that I heard it," says Jerry Daniel, current chair of the Boulevard Neighborhood Association, the host sponsor of the parade. "I immediately volunteered my time and expertise to help make this event a success. I was happy to work with the great committee of neighborhood volunteers that brought their talents together to create the first ever Boo-le-Bark on Boulevard!"

As word spreads, so does the enthusiasm of local residents and businesses, who are pitching in.

"We’re supporting this entertaining event because it’s yet another example of the wild creativity in Athens," says Dr. Pat Priest, co-founder or founder of Dancing with the Athens Stars, Stomp out Domestic Violence, Athens in Harmony, and WUGA's Artists in Residence, among other initiatives. She and her husband Dr. Neal Priest are Big Boo Bark sponsors this year. "The organizers are smart in their rule-setting so that it’s fun for the city’s two- and four-legged denizens. And what a great cause: Athenspets, which helps shelter pets in our area."

"We're a group of animal lovers, so we were very excited to contribute to such a wonderful cause," says stylist Lauren McCarthy of Model Citizen Salon, a major sponsor and fan of the parade from the beginning. "We can't wait to see everyone in the community come out for this event, especially so we can pet everyone's pups!"

Other folks who have jumped in early to help include "Big Boo Bark" sponsors Pet Supplies Plus, Bone-A-Fide Dog Training, home.made, Boulevard Animal Hospital, Flagpole Magazine, Classic City Postal Service, Lowe Irrigation, Leah Leggett Real Estate, Firehall 4 Animal Hospital, Entourage Clothing, Mothership Tattoo, and Stella Harper Events, along with several "Big Bark" and “Kibble” sponsors.

All well-behaved dogs are welcome and must be registered through the parade's website (see rules and regulations), and registration begins September 7 at 7 a.m. The registration fee is $20 per dog (limit 2 dogs per adult handler). All money raised, minus parade expenses, goes to Athenspets. The all-volunteer organizers are hoping to raise as much money as possible to help the shelter.

For anyone interested in throwing the organizers (and Athenspets) a bone, sponsorship (at all levels) and volunteer (get an exclusive Boo-le-Bark volunteer t-shirt! email ashleyeshort@gmail.com) info and sign-up is available at the official website. Info is also available on Facebook and Instagram.

[Photos by Austin Steele Photography, Anne Yarbrough Photography, Liza Goodlett, Classic City Postal Service, Marilyn Estes]