The Humane Society of Sedona and Sedona Community Food Bank will be holding their Every Dog Matters event on Wednesday, Oct. 9, from 8 a.m. to noon and again from 3 to 5 p.m. during the food bank’s regular distribution hours to provide free items for dog owners. 

“My third bedroom is just piled to the ceiling right now with everything that you can imagine for dogs,” Humane Society volunteer and event organizer Linda Brecher said. “SedonaKind gave me a grant this year for $600 and I did not spend one penny due to the generosity of [local businesses].” 

The event will provide participants with a free one-year license for dogs if they are Sedona residents, a voucher for free microchipping and vaccinations, free dog tags and other pet-related items. Most of the supplies are typically given away during the morning shift, so attendees should plan accordingly. 

“What they do is they set up tables here during our weekly food distribution,” SCFB Executive Director Cathleen HealyBaiza said. “You don’t even have to be a client of the food bank, but if you have a pet in need.” 

“[The] most important thing for us is if we can keep people and pets together, if it’s a good situation, both for the people of our community and the animals and a lot of times, it comes down to financial constraints,” Humane Society Executive Director Jennifer Brehler said. “A lot of the animals that come into the shelter because people are losing housing or can’t find housing. There’s always that risk of housing not allowing pets,  but more and more, it’s the financial aspect where there’s pet deposits, monthly pet fees that people can’t afford, as well as just the ability to purchase food for their pets.” 

The Humane Society will hold a walk-in vaccination and microchip clinic for low-income pet owners on Saturday, Oct. 19, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the shelter at 2115 Shelby Drive. 

“I would definitely recommend to beat the crowd to get here early,” Brehler said. “Last event we had a family that was so desperate and really wanted to make sure they got their dogs vaccinated, and they actually showed up before our employees did, and they just hung out in the parking lot until the event.” 

Howl-O-Ween 

The fourth annual Howl-O-Ween Costume Parade, which typically raises between $2,500 and $3,500 for the Humane Society, will be held at Tlaquepaque on Sunday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to noon. 

“It’s a great community event where you can dress up yourself and your pet, usually dogs at Tlaquepaque,” Brehler said. “We have a wonderful morning with a Halloween-themed parade, festivities and just getting into the spirit of Halloween and doing some community outreach.” 

Participants, both humans and their dogs, can dress up for the competition. Pet costumes must be comfortable for the animals, and costumes that are perceived to cause distress will result in disqualification. 

“Tickets will be $20 per entry,” the Humane Society website states. It is recommended to register for the event, “but you can also register in-person the day of the event beginning at 9 a.m. … Floats are encouraged, but cannot exceed two feet wide by four feet long by four feet high.” 

The parade route will start at Tlaquepaque’s Calle Independencia and finish at Tlaquepaque North. 

Prizes will be awarded for Doggone Cutest, Craziest Canine and best group costume. For more information, visit the Howl-O-Ween link on humanesocietyofsedona.org