This collection is the by-product of two afternoons of photography—one year apart, in 2004 and 2005, at the annual Halloween Dog Parade, held at Tompkins Square Park.

The Halloween Dog Parade originated in 1990 when dog owners in New York City’s Lower East Side needed an official space for their dogs to run freely. Dog owners petitioned the city and were granted permission, provided they manage and fully fund the designated area. Volunteers organized a Halloween dog parade as a fund raiser. The space was named First Run and became the very first off-leash dog space in New York City.

When it's time for fun, pets turn into their master’s alter egos. By way of the Halloween Dog Parade, dogs are transformed into refugees, ghosts, villains, and superheroes. In 2005, attendance to the contest numbered more than 2,000 spectators, when 400 dogs masqueraded, among other things, as bumble bees, old ladies, chauffeurs, samurai, policemen, leprechauns, and Siamese twins.

First Run is due for a make-over in early 2007. The renovated Run will be a model of dog-park-design. The Run will include a state-of-the-art organic running surface hospitable to dogs’ paws, separate entrances for small and large dogs, running water, dog baths, and wheelchair access. The community is set to meet the challenge of raising the funds needed for the renovations.

These carefree images offer a peek at how a neighborhood can experience immeasurable joy while banding together towards a common cause.

Abraham Menashe
New Yorkk City, 2006