It's Howl-o-ween! Dogs of New York flaunt costumes in 26th annual Halloween pet parade

With thousands of dollars in prize money at stake, pet owners are certainly serious about the competition.

Halloween celebrations turned out to be more primal this weekend, as hundreds of pets and their owners dressed up for New York's 26th annual pet parade. Tompkins Square Park in Manhattan's East Village was buzzing with hundreds of spectators gathered to watch the city's four-legged friends strut the stage and pose for the shutterbugs. The annual affair also helps to raise money for the park's dog run.

Dogs dressed up like the rock band Kiss take part during the annual halloween dog parade at Manhattan's Tompkins Square Park in New York, U.S. October 22, 2016.Reuters

With thousands of dollars in prize money at stake, pet owners are certainly serious about the competition. Many of them even prepare for weeks before the contest and sizeable amounts are spent on hiring stylists and costume designers to dress their canine companions.

This year, a number of dogs focused on the election campaign. One dog was dressed as Donald Trump with his signature hairdo. Another played upon Hillary Clinton's "basket of deplorables" comment by showcasing a "basket of adorables."

Here are some pictures of the event: