October 1, 2026 · Enrichment

October Enrichment: The Monster Hunt

Why enrichment? Enrichment gives dogs an outlet for their natural instincts (sniffing, searching, solving) and works their brain, not just their legs. A few minutes of sniff-and-search or puzzle work takes real effort, so dogs go home happily tired: body exercised, brain satisfied, confidence a little bigger. How our enrichment works

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In October 2026, Metro Animals daycare dogs in Fort Worth and Plano started the Monster Hunt, a four-week haunted-house enrichment adventure with scent searches for hidden treats, key-finding puzzles, climbing and balancing challenges.

The Barksvillians were on their way home from Dogwarts when their train came to an unexpected stop in the Scottish Highlands. Out they went to investigate, and there stood the Chaos Cats beside an enormous ancient chest, one of them holding a giant iron key. The words carved into the lid could not have been clearer: Pandora’s Pooch Box. Do not open. Under any circumstances.

Three Chaos Cats sit on Pandora's Pooch Box, one holding an iron key, as the dogs look on

Following instructions has never been the Chaos Cats’ strong suit. The key turned before Professor Dumbledog could stop them, and the lid began to rise.

The monsters are loose

Out rolled a cloud of green smoke, and with it dozens of mysterious creatures, scattering across the countryside. Ghosts slipped into the mist, skeletons raced over the moors and scarecrows set off for the fields. From somewhere beyond the hills came a long, echoing howl.

Professor Dumbledog’s answer is the Pawranormal Investigation Bureau, and all October, Metro Animals in Fort Worth and Plano is signing up dogs for its team of Canine Monster Hunters. The mission: capture every escaped creature and return it safely to Pandora’s Pooch Box.

Four weeks, four challenges

Week 1: The Haunted Manor: find the Ghost King and investigate his haunted hideout.
Week 2: The Cursed Pumpkin Patch: follow the clues and help break Lord Scarecrow’s curse.
Week 3: The Forgotten Cemetery: recover the missing evidence and stop General Grumblegut’s army.
Week 4: The Full Moon Hunt: track the Alpha Werehound and complete the final mission.

Each week brings five missions, twenty in all, from the Haunted Manor to the Full Moon finale. Every one is built around what dogs love to do: sniff, explore, solve problems, move and spend time with our caring team, with close attention to each dog’s comfort, confidence and safety. Keeping dogs busy is not the point. The point is an experience that supports their natural instincts and leaves them with plenty of reasons to wag.

Week 1: The Haunted Manor

The investigation began at the Ghost King’s hideout. On their first look inside the Haunted Manor, our hunters found ghouls and ghosts roaming the halls while things began to float and move around. Ghoulish noises filled the rooms, and enchanted dishes and cupboards made the hidden goodies harder to find.

Then the Ghost King locked the pups out of important parts of the manor, and they had to find the special haunted skeleton keys to open the doors again. The Paranormal Unit kept tracking the ghosts and ghouls lurking around the manor and the town for clues on how to banish him, until a breakthrough: the bell tower is a weakness of the Ghost King.

Pandora's Pooch Box bursts open in green smoke as a skeleton dog and a ghost escape

Week 1 menu, The Haunted Manor: five missions written on tombstones under a full moon

This week’s missions:

Ghostly Banquet: sniffing through the haunted dining hall for the tasty treats the mischievous Ghost King scattered.
Haunted Hallway: strange sights, spooky sounds and curious textures along the halls of the manor.
The Haunted Keys: searching, sniffing and solving simple challenges to recover the enchanted keys hidden around the manor.
Rookie Hunter Training: fun, confidence-building skills practiced alongside a Senior Monster Hunter.
Bell Tower Climb: climbing and balancing to the top of the tower to ring the bell and weaken the Ghost King’s powers.

Here are a few of our rookie hunters on the case inside the Haunted Manor.

Fluffy brown-and-white dog smiles on the wooden walkway of the haunted set, pumpkins and iron fence behind

Husky sniffs through a mulch dig tray beside a toy skull in the haunted set

Gray dog grins among pumpkins, tombstones and autumn leaves in the haunted set

Fluffy cream dog sits in front of the cauldron banquet table, looking up at the camera

Small tan dog sits on fall leaves before the cauldron banquet table, tongue out

Brown dog sniffs a row of black cauldrons under a hanging ghost and a giant spider

Will ringing the bell be enough to banish the Ghost King and his spirits from Barksville? Our hunters are on the trail.

Watch the week

Watch this reel from Metro Animals on Instagram

How to join the next adventure

Enrichment is an add-on to any daycare day at Metro Animals — ask for it at drop-off, by the day, the week or the whole month. It’s part of the program that earned us the highest score in the country at the 2024 Dog Gurus Daycare Games. Read more about how our enrichment works, and if your pup is new to the pack, find your nearest location — every new dog’s first day is free.

It’s a great day to play!