Canine Educators Dress in their Halloween Best for Annual Parade and Contest

Eddie stands against a backdrop with pumpkins sitting beside him as he stands wearing his costume
Winning first place in the costume contest, is Eddie the Little UPS Man.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Canine Educator Costume Parade took place on Friday, October 29 to spread some spooky cheer just before Halloween. Each of the caring canines dressed up in their cutest, spookiest, or most “terrifying” costume and took a stroll around campus with the Canine Educator Care Team, making countless people smile. So, in case you missed it, here is your canine filled serotonin boost!

Costumes included bugs and balloons, doctors and dragons, movie characters and cute little critters, and more! A voting ballot was shared with faculty and staff of Lynn Hall that contained pictures of the 26 adorable contestants, allowing them to vote for their favorite canine costume. Results were tallied at the end of the week to determine a winner.

Otis sits in a decorated wagon with the help of his coffee loving helpers
Winning second place in the costume contest, is Otis the Pup Cup in a Starbucks inspired wagon scene.

After a week of suspenseful waiting, the winners of the costume contest were announced this morning (Friday, October 5). The best dressed canines were:

  • In first place, Eddie the Little UPS Man
  • In second place, Otis the Pup Cup
  • In third place, River and Russell, based on the Disney movie, Up

Congratulations to Eddie the Little UPS Man for presenting the cutest, spooky costume, and thank you to everyone who participated in and supported this annual event!

River and his costume partner show off their costumes with River wearing the Up house along with balloons on his back and his care team member dressed as scout, Russell
River and Russell took third place in their costume inspired by the Disney movie, Up!

The Canine Educator Program at Purdue provides opportunities for DVM students to interact with dogs of all shapes and sizes daily. The dogs are brought in from breeders and are either retired or unable to be used for breeding due to genetic or medical complications, such as heart murmurs or orthopedic problems. The dogs remain at Purdue for a year and help students’ learn how to perform physical exams and practice restraint methods. At the end of each year, the Canine Educators are adopted into a loving family – most of the time by DVM students who can’t help but fall in love with their Canine Educator!

Writer(s): Madeline Brod, PVM Communications Intern | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

Purdue University and Akston Biosciences Bring “First Dose of Hope” in New Cancer Immunotherapy Trial for Dogs with Urinary Bladder Cancer

The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, in partnership with Akston Biosciences Corporation, has initiated the enrollment of dogs with urinary bladder cancer in a clinical trial of a pioneering immunotherapy. The strategic partnership between Purdue and Akston was announced in August after the underlying technology was developed at the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Purdue Institute for Cancer Research (PICR).

“Paws Up” – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Today we share appreciation for Beth Laffoon, MS, RVT, and Holly McCalip, BS, RVT, who are both instructional technologists in the Veterinary Nursing Program.

MMAS Symposium Brings Participants Face to Face with Specialists and Species from Parrots to Pocket Pets

Thanks to Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s Exotic Animal Club and dedicated faculty, staff and students, nearly 100 in-person and on-line participants got a chance recently to gain valuable knowledge and insight about the Medicine of Mammalian and Avian Species. The two-day educational event known as the MMAS Symposium is a biennial conference, and the 2024 edition held in Lynn Hall November 9 and 10 featured an impressive program that included 22 lectures and several hands-on labs, organized into two tracks focusing on avian and mammalian species.

Veterinary Boilermakers Take Part in Purdue One Health Alumni Reunion

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine faculty, staff and students turned out for Purdue University’s first One Health Alumni Reunion, which was held on the West Lafayette campus November 14-16. They joined more than 150 Boilermakers from a variety of medical professions who came together to network and participate in timely discussions with Purdue President Mung Chiang, First Lady Kei Hui and fellow alumni.