9 Animal Rights Halloween Costumes That Get People Talking
Halloween is the perfect time to eat your favorite vegan candy, dress up, and get people talking. A clever costume can make someone stop, ask a question, and confront an injustice they may otherwise ignore.
PETA activists have worn some outrageous things to get people talking about animals. This Halloween, steal a few of their best ideas. From frightfully clever DIY ideas to PETA’s latest Halloween gear, these looks will help you start a conversation at any party, school event, or trick-or-treat stop. Use them to remind others that every animal is someone, not a product, test subject, prop, or meal.
Mouse on a Mission
Mice used in experiments are curious, clever individuals, but experimenters confine them, harm them in painful procedures, and kill them in laboratories. Take a cue from PETA’s larger-than-life mouse with white clothes, mouse ears, a tail, and a homemade sign. Then scare up support for modern, animal-free research.
Declawed Cat
Declawing a cat is what nightmares are made of. A cat’s claws are part of their toes, so declawing means amputating each toe’s last joint—the same as cutting off a human’s fingers at the top knuckle. This painful operation can cause lifelong pain, balance problems, fear, and aggression.
Show people how gruesome this procedure is by wearing your own fingerless cat costume. All you’ll need is:
- Cat ears
- Bandages for your “paws”
- Fake blood
Creepy Raising Cane’s Cook
Raising Cane’s may call chicken fingers its “One Love,” but there’s nothing loving about what chickens endure for them. Federal records from a Raising Cane’s supplier describe chickens being slammed into shackles, left to die in dumpsters, drowned, and sent into scalding water while still conscious.
To make your own Raising Cane’s cook costume, gather:
- A red polo shirt
- A visor or baseball cap
- A homemade Raising Cane’s–style name tag
- A takeout box
- A rubber chicken
- Fake blood
Add fake blood to the takeout box for an extra-gruesome reminder that chicken fingers come from someone, not something. Then urge everyone to give chickens something to cheer about by choosing vegan food.
Sheep Used by the Wool Industry
What does wool look like to a sheep exploited by the wool industry? Anything but cozy. PETA entity investigations have documented workers beating, kicking, and cutting sheep at wool operations around the world. No sweater is worth all that suffering.
To create your own sheep costume, you’ll need:
- Sheep ears
- White clothing
- Cruelty-free makeup and fake blood
- An oversized clothing tag that reads “NOT YOUR SWEATER”
Sheep recognize the faces of other sheep, form close bonds, and nuzzle those they trust. Your costume can help others see the individual behind wool—and choose stylish animal-free clothing instead.
The Raccoon Strikes Back
After Norwegian soccer player Erling Haaland was photographed carrying a taxidermied raccoon he bought in Dallas, PETA let the raccoon get the last laugh with our limited-edition Halloween costume.
“The Raccoon Strikes Back” costume comes complete with a Viking helmet, soccer jersey, and Erling Haaland mask featuring a raccoon lopping off the Manchester City striker’s famous man bun. Talk about scoring one for wildlife.
Parakeet From Petco
Birds sold by Petco have little to tweet about. A PETA investigation found parakeets crowded into filthy cages, where sick and injured were left to suffer without proper care.
To put yourself in a parakeet’s place this Halloween, you’ll need:
- Colorful clothing
- Wings or feathers made from animal-free materials
- A bird mask or cruelty-free face paint
- A lightweight costume cage
- A Petco-style price tag
Parakeets fly, forage, communicate, and form close bonds with one another. They belong in the sky—not on a store shelf. Use this look to urge everyone never to buy birds or other animals from Petco or any other store.
Breathing-Impaired Dog
Many French bulldogs, pugs, Boston terriers, and other breathing-impaired breeds can’t exercise, play, or even sleep comfortably without gasping for air. Some require surgery just to breathe more normally.
Here’s what you’ll need to show what life can be like for these dogs:
- A French bulldog mask or ears
- A homemade oxygen tank
- Plastic tubing
Breeders keep forcing these dogs to reproduce because people keep buying them. Don’t fuel the cycle. Adopt, never shop.
A Hunk of Bloody Meat
Humans should never exploit and kill our fellow animals. Make that point by going as a bloody slab of meat—because pigs, cows, chickens, and humans all have bodies made of flesh, blood, and bone.
Download and Print to Make Your Own Meat Tray Costume
All you’ll need is:
- Cat ears
- Bandages for your “paws”
- Fake blood
Reptile’s Revenge
When these slithering “snakes” appeared outside New York Fashion Week, they had a clear message for designers: Keep animal skins out of your wardrobe. With a homemade sign and cruelty-free body paint, you can make the same point.
Make Halloween Less Scary for Animals
Whether you’re headed to a packed party or staying in with friends, these vegan Halloween costumes can spark real conversations. Use yours to help others see animals as individuals and make kinder choices long after spooky season ends.
Next step: Stock up on treats that leave animals out of the trick.
Text VEG to 73822 to get the latest vegan lifestyle tips, recipes, and urgent action alerts texted right to your phone.
Terms for automated texts/calls from PETA: https://peta.vg/txt. Text STOP to end, HELP for more info. Msg/data rates may apply. U.S. only.
To understand why so many brands are nixing mohair, you have to watch this footage.
Many people report fewer reflux symptoms after going vegan. If you’re still experiencing heartburn, a few simple adjustments could make a difference.
If your phone keeps winning, this bag gives your hands a better plan—plus a small way to show up for animals.
Whether you’re lounging at home, running errands, or meeting up with friends, the Blondita x PETA Friends of Animals Club collection is the perfect fit!
