A Spook-tacular Halloween

EVT asked veterinary hospitals in Salem, New Orleans, and San Francisco—all cities particularly known for their Halloween "spirit"—what they do to celebrate the holiday.

Consider these fundraisers and community outreach next year for your clinic, and sweep up that holiday business!

All Creatures Veterinary Hospital, Salem MA
http://www.creaturehealth.com/

Liz Richard, Client Care Specialist
“Well, this is Salem, Massachusetts, so Halloween is a BIG deal around here! The city puts on a parade each year and we participate. We dress up for it and encourage our clients to do the same. We’ll give out a basket at the parade with things like leashes, collars, treats, gift certificates to PetSmart, etc. People are also invited at our clinic and receive flyers as well. We also encourage participation via our Facebook page, and an invitation is included in the live streaming video playing in the waiting room. Honestly, All Creatures Veterinary Hospital is constantly educating and informing our clients on a regular basis anyway. So we just make it extra fun with the Halloween holiday!”

Dr. Elizabeth Bradt, Practice Owner
“In the past couple of years we’ve joined in with the Halloween parade, which is HUGE around here. All Creatures Veterinary Hospital gave out puppy treats and such, and worked on educating people about not allowing their pets to have chocolate (any time of the year, of course!). This year we did a Puppy Mill Awareness Day in September to start off the fall season.”
 

NOLA Animal Clinic, New Orleans, LA
http://www.nolaanimalclinic.com/

Dr. Lily Rai, Practice Owner
“The NOLA Animal Clinic moved into some nicer digs recently, while we’re renovating our first home. The reconstructed clinic should be able to withstand even 200 mph winds! When our new home is ready, we’ll go all out for the holiday – put up mummies, ghosts, goblins, fun stuff that people always do for Halloween. Yummy candy for people, good treats for the animals! All kinds of decorations and stuff.

In some ways New Orleans is still feeling the effect of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, so besides being in a naturally competitive market, the tough economy is presenting some particular challenges as well. We’re proud to say we survived both, and will be more capable than ever of delivering the best possible veterinary experiences to humans and animals alike.”

San Francisco Society for the Protection of Animals and Veterinary Hospital, San Francisco, CA
http://www.sfspca.org/

Jamie Holt, Development Specialist
“To celebrate Halloween this year, the San Francisco Society for the Protection of Animals (SF SFPCA) had 2 great events going on in October. One was a fun Howl-O-Ween event for canines and their companions, held at Mission Creek Park at Mission Bay. There were tricks for treats, a raffle for prizes, our own SF SPCA agility course, Haunted House photo ops and a dog costume showcase, all free! No RSVPs were needed for this great community fundraiser.

We also had “A Very Fashionable Howl-O-Ween” at the Kimpton Hotels (San Francisco’s pet-friendly hotel collection) in late October. They hosted the city’s four-legged friends on the ‘grass carpet,’ showcasing all our wet-nosed creatures dressed in their best Halloween costumes, while all participants enjoyed views of the San Francisco Bay. Benefits went to the SF SPCA, so it made for a great Halloween for everyone!”