AS REPORTED IN THE NACOGDOCHES DAILY SENTINEL:

Dressing up in costumes to go trick-or-treating has been a tradition for American children for decades, but kids aren't the only ones dressing up anymore. Halloween costumes for pets are available at local stores, and they provide a form of entertainment for pet lovers.

Heidy Richter, store manager of Petsense in Nacogdoches, sees an increase every year in the number of people looking for pet Halloween costumes, especially since a pet costume contest will be part of this year's Scare on the Square, she said. Dogs can choose to dress up as a banana, a hotdog, a penguin, a bumble bee, a frog, a firefighter, an ER doctor or numerous other professions with costumes Richter has in stock this year.

"It starts getting busy from now until after Christmas," she said. "Christmas is still our number one holiday, but it starts increasing with Halloween sales. Everyone gets a good laugh when they come in here."

Mainly dog owners come into her store looking for costumes, but Richter does sell a "kitty crusader" costume for felines. One of this year's popular costumes for dogs is the hippo suit, she said.

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