If Halloween is right around the corner, it means it's also time for the Great Pupkin, the Fort Greene Park event where dogs strut their stuff and show their tolerance for sporting fanciful costumes. This year, the Fort Greene Park Users and Pets Society (PUPS) is putting on the 12th Annual Great Pupkin tomorrow (registration begins at 11:30 a.m.; the contest begins at noon—more details here). We chatted with Kath Hansen, the group's founder, to find out more about the festivities, changes in the neighborhood, and why bulldogs and pugs have an unfair advantage with Halloween costumes. more ›

Yesterday afternoon, dog-owners and dog-lovers gathered in Fort Greene Park for the 10th Annual Great PUPkin Dog Costume Contest. Over 50 dogs entered the competition (yes, each pup got to walk around to show off their costumes), those gathered got to "ooh" and "aww" over the cute canines. more ›

There is one pet that does not need a costume - the black cat. But as it happens, some cities (like L.A.) block black cat adoptions during the spooky season for fear that owners are just using them for seasonal prop purposes. The Daily News says that the city allows black cat adoptions, but screens potential owners more carefully. Animal Care and Control's director, Richard Gentles, says, "We don't want to lose an opportunity for a black cat to go into a good home." And ASPCA special agent Joseph Pentangelo suggested "Halloween curfews" for black cats, to make sure they're not harmed by tricksters. more ›

The weekend before Halloween is always busy, and the city is filled with acitivities to keep you in the spooky spirit. Besides the Haunted Houses in different boroughs and Hell House at St. Ann's in Brooklyn, there are walking tours on Saturday and Sunday at the The Green-Wood Cemetery starting at 1PM. The Parks Department also has many different activities, including "Boo at the Zoo" events, Tompkins Scare Park, and the Pier of Fear. more ›

- From Mean Girls more ›

With Halloween in three days, our attention must be turned to those who cannot speak about their costumes: The animals. Tomorrow, at Fort Greene Park, dog owners will converge with their canines in awesome outfits for the Great PUPkin. But what about kitty cats? The Post's Julia Szabo put up this photograph of her cat Huey in a festive costume from Posh Paws on the Upper East Side, but we suspect Huey was given a kilo of catnip, because we've had very little success in convincing the cats we know to wear outfits (except for this U. Michigan fan). We can't help but think back to Robert DeNiro's words from Meet the Parents, when he implies that cats are more intelligent than dogs: Maybe dogs are a glutton for our punishment, but they look so damned cute when they happen to wear balloons in order to look like a bunch of grapes. Maybe cats are silently protesting any costumes because the selection of outfits is so limited. more ›

The Morning News the fabulous Great Pupkin event in Fort Greene. The Great Pupkin is an opportunity for dog owners to dress up their dogs in various Halloween finery (just as Halloween is an opportunity for girls to slut it up ), though writer Todd Levin notes, "There is something tragicomic about a dog in a sombrero...The psychological implications of a dog in costume might be horrible if they weren’t so completely adorable." And the most adorable photographs by Geoff Badner accompany Levin's essay. Gothamist can't help it - we love dogs, er, dog owners who dress up their dogs, as ghosts or Pooh. more ›

Check out the galleries for the Great Pupkin contest over the years from Fort Greene Pups. Some of the costumes really speak to dog owner dedication. [Via Astrid] more ›