BY MARIEKE ANDRONACHE

Special to The Press

After a week of heavy rain, Oct. 9 proved to be a sunny Saturday afternoon.

The day provided perfect weather for four-legged friends to walk with their humans, all decked out in their Halloween finery at Grange Park, Upper Macungie.

The occasion: a celebration of the 10th anniversary of Barktoberfest.

From a Shih Tzu dressed as a taco to a Siberian husky camouflaged as a prisoner, this proved to be a family affair with children and adults of all ages.

Nearly 30 vendors were also on hand, displaying dog-friendly products, from clothing to food.

Fogelsville firefighters brought along fire trucks and many of the younger crowd enjoyed climbing into the trucks to see what it is like to be a firefighter.

There were also a couple of rescue organizations on site, including Outcast Rescue.

Crystal Roman told The Press this rescue is specific to pit bulls and Rottweilers.

Most of this shelter’s dogs are rescued either from high kill shelters or have a medical condition.

Another rescue, Harnessed to Hope Northern Breed Rescue, specializes in Siberian huskies.

As Bruce Fleishman told The Press, this rescue has been around for nearly 15 years in the Lehigh Valley.

They cannot only be found in Pennsylvania, but in Maryland, as well.

One of the highlights of Octoberfest festivities was the parade.

Olivia Santiago came with her father, Mike, and their dog Chica, who was dressed-up as a taco.

Olivia said she was excited to see the other dogs.

She is also looking forward to Halloween and plans to dress as an angel.

Siblings Scarlet and Jayden Anderson brought their dog Snikerdoodle to see what the festival had to offer.

Coleen Gavirati came with her daughter Julianna, and their two dogs, Harley who was dressed as a banana, and Dolce who came as a hot dog.

The four of them spent a bit of time before the parade speaking to the various vendors who were present this year.

The day ended with a special treat, as Yara came for a visit.

Who is Yara?

She is Upper Macungie Township Police Department’s newest K-9.

Yara’s handler, Officer David Malischewski, said they have been partners for a year.

She is a Belgian Malinois.

Yara was born in Holland in 2018, and later came to the United States where she did an eight-week training before joining the police department.

Every second week, she gets to train with the other Lehigh Valley K-9s and their handlers.

Together with Officer Malischewski, Yara helps with tracking, apprehension and narcotics detection.

To follow K-9 Yara’s work with Officer Malischewski, go to the new Instagram site: umtpd_k9unit.