I scanned the aisles of Target, looking for a last-minute Halloween costume . . . for my dog.  The selection was sparse.  There was an abundance of ‘wiener dog,’ outfits – essentially a hot dog suit for dogs – complete with ketchup and mustard and relish.  Kind of funny, but they were only available in small dog sizes.  Leo, a 45-pound Chow mix, was definitely a size large.

After rejecting a paramedic outfit and a gunslinging cowboy, I finally settled on the only thing left that would fit him:  a giant stuffed orange pumpkin suit.

Leo hated it.  Hated.  Especially when we put it on him and paraded him down Pacific Coast Highway on Halloween afternoon,  a day that was too hot in the way that late October days in Southern California can still feel unnaturally like summer.  He dragged his feet, stopping to smell things, refusing to come along, all in his own quiet rebellion.  Even when passersby gushed about how cute he was – this 45 lb., fluffy, golden haired lion dressed in a pumpkin suit – Leo feigned indifference, as if to say, ‘How dare you humiliate me, humans.  I am a dignified creature, and in case you haven’t noticed, I already have a fur coat.’

Happy Halloween, friends!