A group of dog owners in Salisbury got together Saturday afternoon to have a little pre-Halloween fun with a costumed dog walk.
Group dog walks have been a Fulton Heights tradition since Teresa Pitner began organizing them in 2011. Dogs and their people meet periodically at Centennial Park for pack walks up and down the avenues — Maupin, Mitchell and Wiley. Saturday’s walk was a loose affair, with the pack pausing occasionally for the humans to scope out the seasonal decorations and chat with neighbors.
Greg Page and his sons Ethan and Nick were in the Halloween spirit with their canine Cori — rescued from behind a gas station dumpster — decked out as a tiny stegosaurus. The Pages’ Rottweiler, with the wonderful name of Ethel, also trotted along.
Some neighbors were surprised to see Dottie and Geoffrey Hoy with a dog in tow. The Hoys had adopted a stray they named Ginger after trying unsuccessfully to locate her owner. Ginger took off one night — after obedience class, Geoffrey points out. She made her way back to her previous owner, who kept her for a few days before deciding that “Sasha” would be better off living with the Hoys — who were thrilled to take Ginger back.
Jayne and Steve Land joined the pack with their 5-month-old German shepherd, Bahn, dressed as a skeleton. Pitner brought Levon, a border collie/Pyrenees mix. Luke Santillo and Emily Wilder Santillo, veteran dog walkers, came with Callie. Shacorrea Alexander walked Boopy, a tiny three-legged dog dressed as a pumpkin.
The pack walks are a way for Fulton Heights residents to get to know each other in a casual setting while allowing the dogs — most of whom are rescue animals — a chance to socialize, sniff and play a bit.