You don’t have to be a bipedal creature to enjoy Halloween.

Before trick-or-treaters hit the streets in search of candy on Oct. 31, animals were on parade around Big Value Plaza on Dartmouth Street. The celebration of furry, four-legged creatures in costume is an annual tradition put on by Hidden Brook Veterinary Services.

“Kids have parties. Adults have parties. So why can’t animals have parties?” said Dr. Corinne Slaughter.

The event drew a crowd of well-mannered dogs dressed to the nines. Some of their owners dressed the part, too. After a light reception, the dogs wandered around the perimeter of the plaza, much to the delight of those passing through the parking lot.

Donna Butts came with her pug, Baby, who was dressed in a custom-made bubble bath outfit. Butts had fastened about a dozen colorful loofahs to a pink reflector vest she had purchased previously for her pet.

While she conceded that her pet doesn’t enjoy frequent bathing, Baby didn’t seem to mind spending time in her new bath time-themed outfit.

Kaitlyn Kocler paraded about with her dog, Maverick, a Rhodesian ridgeback – a breed sometimes referred to as a lion dog. Kocler came dressed as Rafiki and Maverick, staying true to his species, came dressed as Mufasa.

“I love ‘Lion King,’ and he’s a lion dog, so why not play with it?” said Kocler. “We bought the mane for him last year, and then this year I thought we’d do kind of a couple costume.”

She said she initially discovered Maverick’s love for fashion when the two took a trip to Petco and Kocler jokingly placed reindeer antlers on his head.

“He walked around the whole store like he was proud wearing them,” she said, adding that Maverick’s antlers have become part of his standard Christmas ensemble.

While much of the parade featured dogs exclusively, there was one latecomer to the party of a different species. A’Mya Acevedo, 4, arrived dressed as a ringmaster along with her bunny companion, Lola, was came dressed in a miniature tiger outfit.

The moment Acevedo and Lola showed up on the scene, the parade came to a complete stop because everyone needed a photo of the duo immediately.

Acevedo’s mom, Brittany Brassels, said her daughter has had Lola the rabbit for the past three years.

“It hops around the house. She’ll play in her room with it. It’s very good with her,” Brassels said.

This Halloween was not the first time Lola has donned an outfit.

“She’s dressed [Lola] up for the three years we’ve had it,” she said. “Last year, they were cave girls. A year before that, they were fairies.”

Following the procession, some lucky creatures were awarded prizes for the most original costume, the most funny costume and the cutest costume.

Maverick and Lola tied for the most original costume. A dog named Sally who came dressed as a hippie won the award for the most funny costume. Baby took home the prize for the cutest costume.

As the Halloween season leads into the holiday season – and sweets become more and more commonplace around the kitchen – Dr. Slaughter reminded pet owners that sugary snacks are a treat only humans should enjoy.

“Chocolate can make [pets] extremely ill. Sugar substitutes, or artificial sweeteners, can make them ill – so no candy,” said Slaughter.

Hidden Brook Veterinary Services will have more photo opportunities for pet owners later this year. The clinic will host a Christmas party where pet owners can snap a photo of their pet with Santa Claus.