Joseph Borduin never thought he’d organize an internationally acclaimed dog parade in the East Village.
He didn’t even own a dog until 2018.
Around that time, Borduin was struggling with depression, and a therapist suggested he get an emotional support animal.
“Never believed in it,” he said, “and it worked.”
Borduin credits his cockapoo Biscuit with turning him into an extrovert. First he started going to the local dog run, then he started picking up around the place.
“And all of a sudden I'm putting together dog parades,” he said.
The parade in question is the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Festival, now in its 32nd year. Though it’s planned by Borduin and his tiny team of four volunteers, the celebration has huge reach. It’s expected to draw around 300 dogs plus fans from around the world. This year's participants hail from as far away as Kansas, Michigan, and California. A Japanese TV station is documenting the day for broadcast news, and Borduin’s also been contacted by German media. Actor Dan Schachner, who is also “Ruffaree” for Animal Planet’s “Puppy Bowl,” will host.
The marquee event is Best in Show, but there are nine competition categories, including Best Group Costume (where dogs and owners dress alike) and Best Celebrity Themed Costume. Bark Obama won last year’s current events category; a Great Dane dressed as the vengeful Disney fairy Maleficent nabbed the prize for Best Scariest Costume.
Chihuahuas get their own category – “Chi-lloween” – because, years ago, the Tompkins Square Park event merged with a chihuahua festival.
“The chihuahua crowd is a very unique crowd,” said Borduin. “They're the ones that really go out the most and you want them at the parade.”
The chihuahua crowd is a very unique crowd ... They're the ones that really go out the most and you want them at the parade.
Borduin’s email signature reads “Head Pooper Scooper @ the Tompkins Square Dog Run,” but officially, he’s president of Friends of the First Run, the 501(c)(3) that funds the dog park and pays for supplies like waste bags and canine turf. Borduin says the gravel alone costs around $5,000 a year and has been hard to source ever since the pandemic started.
The arrangement is common across the city: dog runs are typically sustained by a team of dedicated, dog-owning volunteers.
Borduin said the system makes sense. “If I was working for the parks and you told me I had to clean up someone's dog poop …. Yeah. No way. I quit,” he said.
But the system doesn’t produce reliable conditions. Volunteers at the dog run have gotten burnt out. Living in the East Village means many residents tend to be transient, either because they are NYU students, or because of rising rents.
Still, Borduin has stayed the course. His first year organizing the parade was 2020. Due to the pandemic, it was held on Zoom. (“It’s nothing I want to brag about,” he said.) Last year's event took place at the East River Park Amphitheater, with a record 250 contestants.
Joseph Borduin, who organizes the Tompkins Square Halloween Dog Parade, is pictured with his dog Biscuit (right), and their friend Mickey.
This month, the parade is back at its namesake park, and the surge in pandemic puppies means more contestants. Participation is likely to surpass 2021’s numbers.
Hannah Harrison, a project manager who moved to the East Village from London in 2019, adopted a rescue puppy during the pandemic. Back then, she and her dog – also named Biscuit – were at the Tompkins Square Dog Run four times a day because Biscuit initially struggled with severe anxiety. Harrison noticed Joseph’s efforts and was inspired to volunteer.
“When you're here so much and you see someone doing all the work, I was like, I'm sure there's things I can do to help,” said Harrison.
Now, she’s the organization’s vice president. Harrison said Borduin still does most of the work, but she’s handling social media and merch for the parade.
Elaborate as the day may sound, it’s not the only game in town – but it is the biggest. Over in Greenwich Village, the Washington Square Park Dog Day Halloween Parade Costume Party and Parade happens Sunday, Oct. 30 and has some cachet of its own. State Sen. Brad Hoylman will serve as a judge. He’ll be joined by Lisa Grubb, an artist whose dog painting is on the Berlin Wall; and Candy Pilar Godoy, a “dog influencer.” (Yes, that’s a thing.)
For starters, there’s also the Great PUP-kin Annual Dog Costume Contest in Fort Greene, Brooklyn; and Manhattan West Woof Fest: Howl-oween near Chelsea. Across the river, Montclair, New Jersey has Strut Your Mutt. There are others all over the city and the country.
The Lower Manhattan events aren’t competitive. Organizers describe themselves as friendly and have discussed joining forces to make their parades a true procession – possibly starting at the Washington Arch and ending at Tompkins Square Park.
For now, they just want to get through parade day.
Early on a Saturday morning two weeks before the Washington Square event, organizer Eileen Shulock was busy preparing treat bags for pup participants. Shulock, who is also executive director of the Washington Square Park Dog Run Association, estimates the parade takes 150 hours of volunteer work. She gives her time on nights and weekends when not working as the e-commerce director of a jewelry company. Shulock said it’s worth it to see the joy at the parade.
“People are so happy,” she said. “They love their dogs, they love Halloween. They think their dog is the cutest dog ever, which they all are.”
The season of costumed dog parades kicks off on Saturday, Oct. 22 at Tompkins Square Park. Winners in most categories will be announced on the website after the event. The winner of Best in Show will be announced Oct. 31 and the public will have a chance to vote online for Best in Show for a week starting Oct. 23. That’s not a marketing move – it was how Borduin got the parks department to sign off on the parade. The hope is that, without an in-person finale, the crowds will disperse.
Borduin said his main goal is to run a smooth event and show the city his group is organized and capable of hosting the finale at the park next year. And that, he hopes, will attract sponsors, which has been a challenge. (“They don’t want to be associated with something if it ends up being a mess,” he explained.)
He’s also hoping for a nod to the late Queen Elizabeth II.
“If I don't see at least one East Village queen with their corgi, I'll be upset.”
