Bite in the air doesn't deter dog lovers at Mundelein event
A little bite in the air Saturday didn't deter hundreds from bringing their best canine friends to Community Park in Mundelein to sample treats and dig into a variety of activities.
Sponsored by the Mundelein Park and Recreation District, the second annual Doggy Trick-or-Treat was a hit despite a howling wind and cool conditions.
"Last year, we had about 150 dogs and 400 people. We surpassed that this year," said Kelli Schillaci, event coordinator. Better treats and more vendors contributed to a strong turnout. "We upped our game," she said.
"There's a lot more people than last year. Word got around," said Carlos Patlan of Waukegan. He and his wife, Janet, brought their German shepherd mix, Toby, and pit bull, Roxy, who was dressed as Belle from "Beauty and the Beast."
"We came last year and they had a lot of fun," Janet said. "They'll let us know if they're not."
Roxy's yellow dress was a winner. She took home a basket of treats for having the cutest costume.
Other activities included an agility course, hide and go treat, digging in the boneyard, doggy dash and pictures in the puparazzi booth.
Nine-year-old Adriana Carbonara of Lake Zurich was selling homemade natural peanut butter and pumpkin puree dog treats for $5 a bag with proceeds going to Save-A-Pet in Grayslake.
"She has a passion for animals," said her mom, April. "She's had repeat customers, so it's pretty awesome. She's the dog treat girl in our neighborhood."
Visitors were able to browse 18 booths of dog-related businesses, and Libertyville-based Placing Paws of Illinois brought some dogs to adopt.
Rachel and Jose Hamm from Kenosha brought Abby, a 2-year-old Labrador, and Luke, a 10-month-old hound mix to the event.
"We found it on Facebook and thought it was a good idea," Jose said.
The free event was meant as something a bit different for park district patrons, Schillaci said.
"We never had anything for dogs," she said. "We have everything for kids and families so we said, 'Let's do something for them.'"