When Christina Orsborn moved to Cambridge four years ago, she didn’t know a soul. But she wasn’t lonely for long as she quickly made friends with other dog owners on regular walks with her dog, Scout. Christina runs her own technical recruitment business from home and when Scout passed away a couple of years ago, she found the house just wasn’t the same without a canine presence, plus she missed the daily exercise and the dog walking community.
So enter Woody (a Yorkipoo) and, just a few months ago, Pizza (a Maltipoo) who is beyond adorable and who snoozed peacefully in Christina’s arms while we chatted earlier this week.
Inspired by photos of a Halloween Dog Parade in New York sent by her stepson, Christina put together the first Cambridge event last year. The pooches, their owners and bystanders loved it and all the dogs were impeccably behaved. Spurred on by this warm reception, Christina is now organising this year’s Halloween Dog Parade which is happening on Sunday 28 October at 1pm, starting at Great St Mary’s Church from where the Parade will wind its way through Cambridge to the Fort St George pub on the river at Midsummer Common.
Fancy dress is optional for both dogs and owners. Anything is fine, from full costumes to decorated leads and there’ll be a Best Costume prize sponsored by Chesterton indie pet shop, Grumpy’s.
The Halloween Dog Parade raises money for the RSPCA Cambridge and District Branch which runs a clinic offering subsidised treatment for low income pet owners who cannot afford private vet treatment. The Parade is free to enter but voluntary donations are welcome and there’ll be home made dog biscuits for sale on the day. Or you can made a donation through the event’s JustGiving page (details at the end of this post).
The Halloween Dog Parade is a fun family event and it’s fine to join in even if, like me, you don’t have a dog. Just don’t miss Woody, Pizza and their canine friends, all decked out in their Halloween finery and owning the streets of Cambridge!
Facebook: Cambridge Halloween Dog Parade
JustGiving page: http://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Christina-Orsborn
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