Perched on a miniature basketball court inside a giant hollow ball, Snickers made a small but unmistakable Knicks statement. The black-and-white Shih Tzu, dressed as Jalen Brunson in a “Knicks in Five” jersey, won the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade costume contest and $1,000 worth of dog merchandise.
Snickers’ owner, Debbie Doll, completed the presentation by dressing as a Knicks cheerleader. She conceived the basketball theme after her team clinched the NBA championship in June, turning renewed Knicks enthusiasm into the day’s winning tableau.
The annual parade returned Saturday, Oct. 17, despite cold, gray weather. Thousands of spectators lined Avenue B as hundreds of costumed dogs traveled from the East 11th Street starting area toward Seventh Street. Selected entrants and their owners then entered Tompkins Square Park for the costume runway.
Dan Schachner, identified as Animal Planet’s official Puppy Bowl referee, hosted the main contest. The final three presentations were Snickers’ Knicks display, a wheeled Marie Antoinette scene and a dog costumed as a wheel of brie on a charcuterie board.
The scale of the entries reflected substantial work by their owners. Shannon Aronson spent about a month and a half creating a “King Kong da Vinci” display for da Vinci, her 140-pound Bernedoodle, because ready-made options did not fit him. His setup included a homemade replica of the Empire State Building.
Near the procession’s starting point, singer John Legend and model Chrissy Teigen addressed spectators alongside Fern Watt, founder of the nonprofit New York Dog Parade. Kismet, the dog-food brand associated with Legend and Teigen, was a key sponsor. Watt attended with Oscar, her rescue Labradoodle, in a matching drum-majorette outfit.
Why keeping the parade going required more than costumes
The celebration’s return was not automatic. Watt founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit New York Dog Parade in 2025 after permitting hurdles and logistical expenses threatened the event with cancellation. She worked with city agencies and secured corporate support, creating a formal structure around a tradition known for owner-made displays and neighborhood participation.
That coordination matters because New York parades involve multiple layers of approval. Under NYPD parade-permit guidance, a permit is required for a procession or parade in the city, and applications are reviewed in consultation with agencies whose operations could be affected. A route that begins, ends or passes through a public park also requires approval from the New York City Parks Department.
Park programming can bring further operational requirements. The NYC Parks special-event guide explains that amplified sound, food service, generators and sponsor activities may each involve separate permits, fees or agency coordination. Those requirements help explain why funding and logistical planning became central to preserving what can look, from the curb, like a delightfully simple procession of dogs.
For owners inspired by the elaborate entries, the practical lesson is that visual ambition still has to fit the individual dog. The American Animal Hospital Association’s costume guidance recommends outfits that do not restrict movement, breathing, sight or hearing. Fit matters in both directions: clothing that is too tight can impede movement, while loose pieces may create a tripping risk. Refusing to move, scratching at the outfit, lip-licking or yawning can signal that a simpler option or no costume is the better choice.
The parade’s appeal ultimately extended beyond who took first place. It combined city identity, canine companionship and the kind of craftsmanship owners may spend weeks assembling. Zoe Cuddy, who attended with her dog Leo, described that local spirit plainly: We do it because we’re New Yorkers, and when there’s an event that brings New Yorkers together, I think everybody makes a huge effort to show up like New Yorkers, which is big and proud and loud.
Snickers’ basketball court captured all three elements at once: a specific dog, a devoted owner and a New York sports tribute, presented at a community tradition that continued because organizers and sponsors found a way through its practical pressures.
Does this sound like your dog’s personality, or did they surprise you completely? Tell us in the comments.
By Nora Patel — Former shelter adoption counselor and canine-behavior writer who helps families match dog traits with real home routines.
