Update For 2019

A Fond Farewell To Haunted Puppy Town (For Now)

Almost seven years ago, in a downtown Kirkland bar after a long day of snuggling dogs, one of our wonderful former employees (now a biologist), said the fateful words to me, “What if Cascade Kennels threw a Halloween party for dogs?!”

The craziest thing was, we actually did!

Six years running, we’ve thrown a huge event called Haunted Puppy Town. At HPT, we transform our grounds into a carnival, complete with games and prizes for dogs and people, an agility course, food trucks, a dog-friendly maze, a costume contest, and, in general, a lot of really unique fun. Local rescue groups also attend with information about their organizations, and every penny we raise from the event goes to them. Last year, over 700 people attended and donated nearly $2,500 in just three hours.

It’s sure been a wild ride. The planning of an event like this starts months ahead, so the spooky spirit permeates the air here well before Halloween arrives on the calendar. The volunteer demographic of the event looks like this: one-third our kennel employees, and two-thirds their incredibly loving and selfless family and friends. To everyone who has shown up to work this event in the past six years, sacrificing your whole day and “people-ing” far more than you would ever normally sign on for, or standing in the rain directing parking for three hours – I forever salute you and am grateful for you!

That’s the thing, it really does take a village to make all of this happen. This year, the village who makes it happen is pretty darn busy creating their own smaller villages. A few of our key players are expecting, and hopefully, if we give them a break, they will come back with even more verve to plan HPT in later years so that their own kids can enjoy the spooky, silly magic that is HPT.

The din of people laughing over the tune of “Monster Mash,” the smell of buttery popcorn drifting through the crisp October air, the thrill of counting up all the money we get to give to the rescues, the sight of a corgi in a hotdog costume sniffing noses with a dachshund in a hotdog costume… These are all things that I’ll truly miss. Thank you to everyone who has shown up decked out in creative costumes and ready to party over the last six years. It has really been something special, and my heart is full with the memories of it.

Until next time,

Kelly Keppel