Autism Dog Services (ADS) is preparing for its fourth annual Howl-O-Ween Pawty at the Children’s Safety Village of Brant on Saturday, October 17, 2026.
Families and their pups are invited to dress up in their costumes and partake in trick-or-treating, contests and other spook-tacular activities during the dog-friendly event.
Adele Alfano, Fund Development Manager for ADS, said that youngsters will have plenty to explore and interact with throughout the village, including the Brantford Fire Services and one of its fire trucks.
“It’s a really great event that is completely pet- and family-friendly. As far as entertainment, we like to support Brantford-ians anytime we can, so we’re going to have a local DJ, a children’s magician, and the Just Dance line dancers, who will be there encouraging people to follow along with some of their routines,” she said. “We’re also going to have the Grand Tour BBQ food truck there selling all their yummy treats, and the Brantford Fire Department will also be arriving around noon, which is always a big hit because the kids just love climbing in and getting their picture taken behind the wheel of a big fire truck. There will also be a little corner where kids can decompress and do some colouring, and there’s a hopscotch area and all that kind of stuff too.”
In addition to all of that, the day will feature a people and pets costume parade around where three winners will be chosen for things best person costume, best dog costume and best family costume.
“It’s always so much fun to see everybody’s all dressed up,” said Alfano. “Some people are just so creative and we have quite a few families that come every year in different group costumes so it’s great to see everyone get in the spirit.”
Twenty-two vendors will also be present along the village’s sidewalk selling goods and handing out both candies and dog treats to visitors.
“There’s going to be a real range of vendors with everything from dog food and treats to jewellery, candles, cotton candy–you name it,” said Alfano. “Of course, people are always curious about what we do at ADS, so we’ll have some of our dogs and staff there, too. So, anyone interested in becoming a puppy raiser, or volunteering with us can stop by and get lots of information.”
As one of the non-profit’s signature fundraisers, admission to the event is by donation, with contributions of any size welcome.
“All the funds raised during the event will go towards the training of our dogs. We have about 30 that are going through the training program at the moment, all at different levels and ages. It takes about two years to get these dogs trained, so the funds really help support that process from the time they’re little until they get certified,” she said. “A lot of people still don’t know that this service exists in the Brantford area, but these dogs are incredibly smart and loving, and they really help to provide comfort, safety, independence and increased self-esteem. They’re like little miracle workers, so every bit helps us get these dogs the training they need to do what they do best.”
An accredited member of Assistance Dogs International, ADS is a non-profit organization that provides highly trained service dogs to children between the ages of three and 18 with autism. The organization’s mission is to enhance the quality of life for children with autism by providing them with a specially trained service dog to assist with their daily living activities.
From the time they’re puppies, the dogs are trained to perform a variety of tasks, including alerting to seizures, providing comfort and assisting with social interactions while helping children to develop skills like responsibility, empathy and communication.
Overall, Alfano said she and the rest of the ADS team are looking forward to welcoming everyone back to the long-awaited event, and encourages people to stop by if they have a chance.
“The event is totally open to everyone and we would love for people to come by and enjoy this with us if they have some time,” she said. “It really is a lot of fun, and the Safety Village is a great place for an event like this because it’s like a little gated community, so it’s safe for, not just families, but dogs too. We encourage everyone to get dressed up, come have some fun, grab some lunch and support the vendors.”
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
