These Halloween Costumes Support Animal Liberation

Halloween is all about enjoying your favorite vegan candy and dressing to impress in the coolest costume at the party. If you opt for an animal liberation-inspired costume, you can even encourage others to stop supporting the horror movie-like conditions animals suffer in every day. Help end speciesism—and have fun doing it—by checking out the following frightful and delightful costume ideas for animal liberation inspiration.

12 Easy Animal-Inspired Halloween Costumes to Wow at Parties

1. Bad Influence Crocodile Wrestler

After notorious animal tormenter Mike Holston, who goes by “The Real Tarzann” on social media, posted videos of himself illegally wrestling a crocodile in Australia in a desperate bid for attention, PETA is allowing the croc to have the last word by issuing a new Halloween costume, which comes complete with a hat that reads, “Bad Influence,” and a plush crocodile who is taking a chunk out of the pompous poser.

With PETA’s new costume, kind people can flip the script on cruel clout-chasers who terrorize animals. When left alone by humans, crocodiles are doting parents, and mother crocodiles will gently carry their babies in their mouths to protect them. Anyone who harasses frightened wildlife risks joining the ranks of the ghouls and ghosts of Halloween.

2. The Blood-Sucking, Vegan-Making, Lone Star Tick

As hundreds of Martha’s Vineyard residents find that they’ve had to change their meaty meals after just one bite from a Lone Star tick—which spreads alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that causes humans to develop an allergic reaction to meat and dairy—PETA is honoring the carnivore-converting mite with a new Halloween costume.

The getup features the tick’s telltale white star on the back and comes with bug-eye goggles and a sign proclaiming, “Tick, Tick, Tick, Time to Go Vegan?”—reminding all the alpha-guys and alpha-gals that there’s no need to be ticked off by a meat allergy if you keep animals off your plate in the first place. PETA’s free vegan starter kit—and Lone Star Tick Cookbook—can help anyone looking to go vegan.

3. The Chicken Avenger

Animal abusers beware, the Chicken Avenger is here! Inspired by Cynthia Valeska Díaz Sosa, the Key West woman who stood up for birds by allegedly macing a chicken-killing driver, PETA is rolling out its newest limited-edition Halloween costume. On July 9, Díaz Sosa stopped her car on a road to allow a chicken to pass when another driver sped around her and hit the bird, killing them. Díaz Sosa then allegedly followed the driver, and when she stopped, yanked open her door, and doused the killer with bear mace.

The getup features a cutout car carrying a flock of happy hens, a “stop for chickens” sign, a “chicken liberation” license plate, and a can of bear mace.

4. A French bulldog breeder

What makes this costume so terrifying? The fact that French bulldog breeders sexually exploit these dogs, collecting bags of semen to artificially inseminate them, since they often can’t mate naturally due to the size of their hips.

To DIY your own French bulldog breeder costume, you’ll need:

• A plastic bag
• ‘Semen’ made from a cornstarch and water mixture
• Disposable gloves
• A costume syringe
• Fake blood
• (optional) Stuffed animal dog

At any given time in the U.S., there are roughly 70 million homeless dogs and cats. Every animal purchased from a breeder means that an animal in a shelter loses a chance at finding a loving home. Your creepy costume will remind everyone about the true cost of buying a “Frenchie” or any other breathing-impaired breed. It will send the message to always adopt and never shop.

5. “Lettuce Lady” Barbie (bring your own Barbie doll with matching accessories)

Lettuce get dressed up to help animals.

Although PETA’s Lettuce Lady Barbie doll is sold out, you can still make your competitors at Halloween costume contests green with envy. To fashion your own “Lettuce Lady” dress, all you’ll need is:

• A green dress
• A vegan cookbook
• An optional homemade sign encouraging everyone to “Turn over a new leaf—Go Vegan”

PETA’s real-life “Lettuce Ladies” greet people around the world, spreading the message that everyone who goes vegan spares the lives of nearly 200 animals a year. Join them this Halloween by helping folks turn over a new leaf by encouraging them to be kind to animals.

6. A hunk of bloody meat

Every animal is a living, feeling individual who deserves consideration and respect. Humans should never exploit and kill animals for food. To make a haunting statement about this, take a cue from these PETA staffers and go to a Halloween party as a bloody slab of meat—since there’s no difference between our bodies and theirs.

Download and Print to Make Your Own Meat Tray Costume

Pigs are soothed by music, and cows mourn when a loved one dies or they’re separated. Yet in the meat and dairy industries, they’re crammed into filthy sheds or kept on crowded feedlots until they’re sent to slaughterhouses. There, workers act like the villain in slasher films, often hanging the animals upside down and slitting their throats while they’re still conscious.

Each person who goes vegan spares nearly 200 animals every year, dramatically shrinks their food-related carbon footprint, and slashes their risk of suffering from cancer, heart disease, strokes, diabetes, and obesity.

7. Declawed cat

Talk about scary. Declawing a cat is literally hacking off the last bone of each of Fluffy’s toes. That’s the kind of stuff that nightmares are made of. A cat’s claws are integrated into their toes, so “declawing” means amputating each toe’s last joint—the equivalent of cutting off a human’s fingers at the top knuckle. This crippling operation forces cats to relearn how to walk, permanently alters their balance, and causes chronic pain. Many declawed cats live with lifelong physical disabilities, which also lead to psychological stress, fear, and aggression.

Let people know how gruesome this procedure is by donning your own fingerless cat costume.

All you’ll need is:

• Cat ears
• Bandages for your “paws”
• Fake blood

8. Creepy Colonel Sanders

The mascot for KFC is always a frightening sight, especially for the millions of suffering, feeling, intelligent chickens whose body parts are sold by the bucket by the fast-food giant. Even the company’s own animal-welfare advisers have resigned in frustration over its refusal to change

To make your own Colonel Sanders costume, you’ll need:

• A white wig and fake facial hair
• A toy knife
• Decorated bucket with a “Kentucky Fried Cruelty” message
• White jacket

You may as well go ahead and throw some horns on him, too!

9. Wretched Ronald McDonald

This sicko plays cute to the kiddos, but behind the scenes, he’s responsible for the largest mass murder of chickens ever. Every day, slaughterhouse workers slit the throats of thousands of birds and toss the animals into a tank of boiling water, often while they’re still conscious. Wretched Ronald may love it, but we’re hatin’ it. To fashion your own Wretched Ronald costume, visit a local costume shop and pick up:

• A clown costume
• A clown wig

Make your own McCruelty name tag and you’ll be ready to serve some scares in this terrifying getup.

10. Injured circus trainer

Animals who are repeatedly forced to perform stupid tricks attack circus employees. Why? Because the animals are confined and exploited. The big top is no place for a majestic elephant or a regal tiger. Splash your neck with fake blood and show coworkers that animals should never be used for human entertainment.

11. “Whose Skin Are You In?” Reptile’s Revenge

When reptilian folks were spotted slithering around outside New York Fashion Week, it was clear they weren’t there just to model. The reptile revengers had a message for designers: Keep animal skins out of your wardrobe. With a homemade sign and some carefully applied cruelty-free body paint, you can show some of your own skin and make the same statement.

12. Rabbit with a “lucky” human foot

Ready for a disturbing but effective role reversal? Dress as a rabbit and carry around a “lucky” human foot for a change—to inspire change! Hopping around Halloween events in this toe-curling costume may be the best way to wake up your friends to speciesist superstitions that are deadly for rabbits. To hop to Halloween action for rabbits, visit a local costume shop and pick up:

• Rabbit ears
• A fake human foot or skeleton leg

Animal Exploitation Is Scary: Make Sure Your Halloween Plans Don’t Harm Anyone

Whether you’ll be at a Halloween party with tons of people or staying in for a casual night with friends, these costumes offer a great way to get the animal rights conversation started.

Note: BARBIE is a registered trademark of Mattel Inc., which is not affiliated or connected with and does not necessarily approve of, endorse, sponsor, or otherwise support PETA or PETA’s unofficial doll accessories.

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