I'm being trolled

Dressing your pets in Halloween costumes is an abomination. This is a deeply held belief I've had for many years now. In fact, I've been so vocal about my objection to such cruelty to animals (and yes, it is empirically cruel to put pets in costumes) that close friends deliberately don't dress up their pets if I am to attend their Halloween party. 

A classic example is when friends of my wife and me came up with this idea of being the Scooby Doo gang one Halloween. Since this other couple had a Great Dane, it worked perfectly. However, I gave a stern warning that if they put the dog in a costume, I would not participate. Now, in order to not come off as a complete tyrant, I acquiesced to an "SD" tag on the dog's collar. 

Then last year a different couple invited us to their Halloween soiree. Since one of the gals dressed up as Cruella De Vil, she had this idea of dressing her & her husband's little terrier in a Dalmatian costume. However, it quickly occurred to them that I would judge them harshly were they to engage in such shenanigans, so they relented. 

Given the anecdotes I just shared, you likely ascertain that my zero tolerance for pet Halloween costumes is downright harsh (maybe even irrational). I guess you're entitled to that opinion, but this is a hill I am willing to die upon. 

With all that being said, the organization for which I have been a dedicated volunteer the past 6+ years is, I believe, trolling me at this point. 

To be fair, this event is being organized by the reigning Miss Minnesota Elle Mark. I have only known Elle for six months, so it's unlikely that she's aware of my utter disdain for this type of thing. Even if she were aware, I'm certain she would go ahead with this contest nonetheless. 

Maybe this kind of trolling is what I deserve given how curt I've been with close friends over this very issue. If so, perhaps I shall steer my focus towards less divisive issues like, say, abortion or gun rights. 

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