A party that’s for the dogs
Pet influencer with ties to Minneota plans Halloween event
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MARSHALL -- When she moved to New York City last year, Cristina Cuevas thought of a creative way to share social media photos with her friends back in Minnesota.
"It kind of started out with a fun account," with pictures of her dog Kuzco visiting different spots around the city, said Cuevas, who grew up in Minneota. Then Kuzco started getting an online following. "I started meeting a lot of other, I guess you could say, dog influencers," Cuevas said.
Today, Cuevas jokes that Kuzco has a better resume than she does, working with brand campaigns and getting invites to dog events around the city.
Meet-ups for dogs and dog owners in New York have been a lot of fun, Cuevas said. It's something she hopes to bring to Marshall when she she comes back to southwest Minnesota to visit. Cuevas is planning a free "Howl-o-ween" event at Patriot Park on Oct. 10. People can bring their dogs to the park, and dog costumes are encouraged, she said.
When she moved to New York, Cuevas had no idea she would end up running a pet content account. She works in social services, but now she also runs TikTok and Instagram accounts featuring Kuzco. Businesses reach out to pet accounts like hers for brand promotions or partnerships. "He's always getting something in the mail to try," she said.
One of the things Cuevas noticed when she moved to New York was how enthusiastic people were about their pets.
"Everyone is crazy about their dogs here," she said.
There are dog cafes, and events geared toward dogs.
One of her favorite events was a Halloween meet-up in Central Park just for shih tzus. "It was such a fun event," Cuevas said. "There were hundreds of people with shih tzus in costume." In order to get a group picture of the crowd, people were lifting their dogs up in the air, she said.
Kuzco hasn't been bothered by the chaos, Cuevas said.
"He thrives on human attention," she said.
Cuevas won't be able to attend the Halloween meet-up this year, because she will be visiting family in Minneota. "So I was like, you know what, let's bring it home," she said.
After looking at different options for a gathering space, Cuevas said she decided on Patriot Park in Marshall. The park was accessible, and not too far from main roads to find easily. Cuevas said it will be exciting to have a dog meet-up in southwest Minnesota, and she hoped local residents and their dogs will attend.
Cuevas said the Howl-o-ween meet-up will be from 1-2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Patriot Park. Patriot Park is located on Windstar Street in Marshall.