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October 31, 2026

Votes Are in – Your Halloween Favorites!

| Blog | Votes Are in – Your Halloween Favorites!

🎃 The Votes Are In! Meet Our Halloween Costume Contest Winners! 🐾

Let’s give a big round of a-paws to our three spook-tacular winners!

🥇1st

Male yellow lab puppy Waldo sits in the grass surrounded by several stuffed animals. He is nestled in the middle of all of the stuffed animals wearing a red and white striped shirt and a red and white hat as if he is the character “Waldo” in “Where’s Waldo?”

WALDO

Where’s Waldo?

Pup on Program, male yellow Lab (Gayle Fowler, Puppy Raiser, Baltimore Puppy Raising Region)

Congratulations, Waldo! This clever costume was easy to love and hard to miss! Waldo captured hearts and took home the top spot in this year’s contest.

🥈2nd

Male black and tan German Shepherd Phantom sits in the leaves and wears a black shirt and half of a white mask over his face as if he is “Phantom of the Opera.” At his feet is a piece of sheet music, a rose, and a black jack o’lantern

PHANTOM

Phantom of the Opera

In Training, male B&T German Shepherd (Sarah Riester, Raiser, Central NY Puppy Raising Region)

Congratulations, Phantom! With his dramatic cape, mysterious mask, and theatrical flair, Phantom stole the spotlight and brought a little Broadway magic to Halloween!

🥉3rd

Female black lab puppy Salem sits in a grassy yard and looks off camera majestically. She wears a velvety cape with stars and a moon on it and a witch hat.

SALEM

Salem Witch

 Pup on Program, a female black Lab (Marlee Cooke, Puppy Raiser, Fingerlakes Puppy Raising Region)

Congratulations, Salem! Dressed in her enchanting purple cape and pointed witch’s hat, Salem cast a spell on our hearts with her bewitchingly adorable Halloween look!

🎃 Thank You for Voting!

A huge thank-you to everyone who submitted photos, voted for their favorites, and helped make this year’s Halloween celebration so much fun! Every costume brought smiles, laughter, and a little extra magic to the Guiding Eyes community.

Congratulations to our winners and all our fabulous furry finalists!

Scroll down to revisit all the adorable Halloween finalists!

 

 

 Fall is in the Air… and Halloween Is Around the Corner! 🍂 🎃

Crisp mornings, colorful leaves, pumpkin-spiced everything… autumn has officially arrived! As the days grow shorter and neighborhoods begin filling with jack-o’-lanterns, spooky decorations, and costumed trick-or-treaters, we know one thing for certain: Halloween season has begun. At Guiding Eyes for the Blind, that also means it’s time for one of our favorite annual traditions, celebrating the creativity, personality, and pure adorableness of Guiding Eyes pups dressed in their Halloween best!

Every year, members of our community send us photos of Guiding Eyes puppies and dogs sporting cleverly creative costumes of everything from superheroes, movie and storybook characters to zoo animals. The result is always a delightful collection of photos that brings smiles, laughter, and plenty of Halloween spirit.

The finalists have been selected so now the fun really begins as we invite everyone to visit the Finalist Preview Gallery below and vote for your favorite. Who will claim the top spot? There’s only one way to find out!

Did you know? 🦮 🐾
a young yellow Lab puppy sits facing camera and wears a small fabric harness with a handleThose adorable Halloween costumes serve a purpose beyond looking cute in photos!  From the time they are puppies, Guiding Eyes dogs begin preparing for a future in harness. Young puppies wear miniature fabric harnesses, and Future Guide Dog pups practice getting dressed with their Puppy Raisers. These positive experiences help prepare them for wearing a guide dog harness later in life, making comfort with the harnessing process an important foundation for their future work.

Be sure to cast your vote before midnight on October 30. Every vote helps determine which costume will earn this year’s Halloween bragging rights. The winners will be announced on Halloween Day, October 31, so stay tuned! We thank everyone who participates by submitting photos, voting, and sharing in the fun.

Happy Halloween and Happy Voting!

Finalists Preview Gallery

🎃 The pups have dressed to impress, and now it’s your turn to help choose a winner. Review the gallery images by clicking to enlarge them, but enter the voting site to cast your vote. Check back for the winners October 31st.  🐾👻
Male black lab Fiyero lays down in the grass at a farm and wears a green sweater with gold buttons. He wears a scarecrow hat and straw peeks out from the rim. At his feet is the Grimmerie book from the Wicked movie.
Fiyero from Wicked: Fiyero (in training)
Male yellow lab Doc and male black lab Sarge are posed in front of a tasseled backdrop featuring a blue sky and white clouds pattern, a yellow checkerboard pattern, and a cow print pattern. Doc wears a Buzz Lightyear costume and Sarge wears a Woody costume. Accents include balloon rocket ships and the toy dinosaur from the movie, Toy Story.
Buzz & Woody: Doc and Sarge (pups on program)
Male black lab Potter lays in a down on a picnic blanket and wears a headband made out of leaves and scrabble letters. The headband reads “Barkuterie board” and there is a paw print shaped board with handmade clay food on it including fruits, veggies, eggs, cheese, and crackers.
Barkuterie Board: Potter (released)
Female yellow lab Rapunzel sits in a purple and pink sparkly dress between two pumpkins with a long yellow yarn wig made to look like Rapunzel’s infamous blonde locks from the movie Tangled. Colorful knit flowers are braided into the wig as in the movie.
Beautiful Rapunzel: Rapunzel (pup on program)
Female black lab puppy Salem sits in a grassy yard and looks off camera majestically. She wears a velvety cape with stars and a moon on it and a witch hat.
Salem Witch: Salem (pup on program)
Male black and tan German Shepherd Phantom sits in the leaves and wears a black shirt and half of a white mask over his face as if he is “Phantom of the Opera.” At his feet is a piece of sheet music, a rose, and a black jack o’lantern
Phantom of the Opera: Phantom (in training)
Female yellow lab puppy Gertrude wears an old lady dress with glasses and a grey wig. A mug with a tea bag is positioned in front of her on a closed book and a handful of caramels next to them.
Grandma Gertrude: Gertrude (pup on program)
Female yellow lab Asante wears a Hawaiian skirt tucked into her leather guide harness and a tropical necklace
Hula Girl: Asante (guide)
Male yellow lab puppy Waldo sits in the grass surrounded by several stuffed animals. He is nestled in the middle of all of the stuffed animals wearing a red and white striped shirt and a red and white hat as if he is the character “Waldo” in “Where’s Waldo?”
Where’s Waldo: Waldo (pup on program)
Female yellow lab Dream and male black lab Blackjack lay side by side in the grass and wear matching spider costumes.
Scary Spiders: Dream (guide) & Blackjack (released)
Male black lab Prince lays on a rock wall overlooking a lake and wears a crown and a red cape as if he is the prince. Beside him is a white pillow with a sparkly white high heel.
Prince Charming: Prince (released)
Male black lab Nils, female black lab Yazzy, Female brindle Lab Nutella, and male yellow lab Fintan are all posed in a grassy yard. Nils is dressed as Lord Farquad with a crown and red cape, Yazzy is dressed as Shrek, Nutella is dressed as Fiona, and Fintan is dressed as Donky. Various signs are displayed like in the Shrek movie, including a sign that says “danger,” one that says “stay out,” and another that says “Beware Dogres + Donkey.”
Shrek’s Swamp: Nils (released), Yazzy (pup on program), Nutella (pup on program), & Fintan (pup on program)

Want to give our pups an extra treat this Halloween?

Make a donation today to help provide the care and training they need to become life-changing guide dogs!

GIVE OUR PUPS A TREAT 🎃🐾👻