October 30, 2002

Herald photos by Garret Leiva
Canines great and small parade before the panel of judges during Dog-O-Ween XI “American Fido” Saturday at the Grand Traverse Mall. Sponsored by local radio station 106KHQ, the Halloween dog dress-up contest featured small, medium and large canines competing in categories such as Looks Like Owner, Ugliest Dog and Best of Show.

Costume contest howling success

   Canines big and small had a howling good time Saturday at the eleventh annual Dog-O-Ween, northern Michigan’s biggest doggie dress-up contest. The Grand Traverse Mall came alive with canines, costumes, and music as event sponsor 106 KHQ broadcast live from the event.

   Hosted by 106 KHQ’s Ted Cramer, Lisa Knight and Ron Pritchard, Dog-O-Ween XI “American Fido” featured a parade and contests with prizes from Invisible Fence and other sponsors. Mike Cherry, Cherryland Human Society, Scott Michael Trager, 9&10 News and Debbie Defer, Invisible Fence, comprised the panel of celebrity judges.

   Dog-O-Ween featured costume judging in small, medium and large dog divisions. Award categories included Most Patriotic, Ugliest Dog, Most Unique, Looks Like Owner and Best of Show.

   Dog-O-Ween winners included owner Shaun Ferguson with pug Mugsey, who took the prizes for Best Use of 106 KHQ Logo and Ugliest Dog; and Nicole Howard with her two German shepherds for Cramer’s Crazy Choice. The big winners of the day were owners Makenna and Paige Krueger whose basset hounds Colby and Buster took three awards for their 9/11 hero theme, including Best In Show, which earned them the grand prize of an Invisible Fence.

Dogs get all dress up for eleventh annual Dog-O-Ween event




German shepherd Oz, showing off his devilish side, and angelic brother, Anubis, take a break while awaiting results from the large dog competition.


Amy Kahgee of Petoskey and her Jack Russell terrier, Gage took second-place in the small dog competition dressed as a pair of spooky spiders.


Basset hounds Buster, dressed as top cop, and fire chief Colby took home the coveted Best of Show grand prize at Dog-O-Ween.


Murphy, a one-year-old Boston terrier, showed off his super canine powers in the medium dog competition.