Hundreds attend 6th Annual Dog Walk of the Dead

AUGUSTA — Four-legged and two-legged zombies alike rose up on Saturday at the Sussex County Fairgrounds, lurching their way through the 6th annual Dog Walk of the Dead. The event featured hourly costume contests, a classic cars-themed trunk-or-treat, an aerial show, live music, and giveaways. The goal was far from ghoulish, with fundraising for One Step Closer Animal Rescue (OSCAR) in Sparta, a non-profit focused on rescuing and rehoming dogs and cats.
“We love working at the Sussex County Fairgrounds; it’s a great place to have,” said Anthony Muzikar, who began the event six years ago along with his wife, Deann. Inspired by the annual Asbury Park Zombie Walk, they decided to create a canine-focused Halloween celebration of their own.
“We always included our dog in our costume at the zombie walk,” Muzikar said, “and more and more people were bringing their dogs out. So we thought, why don’t we come up with doing something just for dogs?”
Originally conceived as a casual get-together, the idea quickly took off, especially when Muzikar proposed animal shelter donations. Now, he and his wife spend all year long preparing for the event.
“It’s our favorite time of year, so we wanted this to be as much of a Halloween event as it is a pet event.”
This year’s Dog Walk of the Dead saw over 500 attendees.