Halloween 'bipawtisan' dog parade draws crowd on Capitol Hill

Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, stepped in Tuesday to host the annual "Bipawtisan Howl-o-ween Dog Parade" on Capitol Hill, where dozens of pooches paraded in costumes in what has become a Halloween tradition in Congress.

Romney saved the day after host Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced he would have to bow out after testing positive for COVID-19.

"Glad to host some furry friends in the Senate today for Sen. Thom Tillis' annual Bipawtisan Howl-o-ween Dog Parade!" Romney posted on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "I may be biased, but our office hot dog Goldie was the star of the show."

Large crowds of congressional staff gathered inside the Hart Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C., to cheer on the dogs, which included Stanley the beagle, dressed as a dragon; poodle sisters Bon Bon and Pepper, dressed as Slytherin and Hufflepuff of Harry Potter fame; and mini golden doodle Izzy from Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly's office dressed as an astronaut.

Romney used a bullhorn to announce the participants, which also included several Uncle Sams, a Dolly Parton and a dog dressed as the Chinese spy balloon.

Tillis began hosting the dog parade in 2017 to bring together congressional lawmakers and their staffs "for a cause everyone can unite for: dogs in costumes."