MELROSE – “Spookley the Square Pumpkin” is the cartoon story of a loveable a who was teased by a round pumpkin named Big Tom until Jack the Scarecrow and three spiders named “Edgar,” “Allan” and “Poe” helped him overcome his feeling of humiliation. Spookley then saved the pumpkin patch by plugging a hole in the fence during a storm.

It’s a story Elaine West wants to share with everyone when the Rooterville Animal Sanctuary opens its gates on Oct. 28 and 29 for Boo and the Roo, featuring a Hoggy Walloween and Haunted Woods Trolley rides.

The farm at 1208 County Road 315 will be enhanced with customary Halloween decorations – but all with the intent to share awareness of animals and emphasize everyone’s unique strengths to benefit the community during Anti-Bullying Month.

“We want to entertain the kids and give folks something to do outdoors with animals in the fresh air, away from computer screens,” she said. “But it’s also to promote kindness. It’s an anti-bullying message to teach kids to be kind to other kids who are different. So that’s the main point of it.”

More than 100 animals are on the 20-acre farm, including pot-bellied pigs, goats, cows, turkeys, cats, dogs, chickens and peacocks. There’s also a butterfly farm and bee hive. The event will include trolly rides through the “haunted forest” and a maze made of hay bales.

“The butterfly garden is awesome,” West said. “And have a butterfly nursery over there where we get the caterpillars, and we keep them safe until they turn into butterflies. Otherwise, only 10% of the caterpillars turn into butterflies. So we’re trying to help them out.”

A stuffed Spookley doll will be hidden on the property on both days, and the child that finds it during the scavenger hunt will be allowed to keep it, along with a Spookley book, West said.

“We’re going to make a hay bale maze,” she said, “and we’ll let them sign the pledge when they get done with the maze. It’s a pledge to be kind to people different from them.”

The primary goal of Rooterville is to identify options for how some animals are “factory-farmed” as food. She said some children don’t realize how animals are supposed to live in a more natural environment.

“(Many animals) don’t have a life like this, so we want to work with the families to meet and interact with them and show them that they’re no different than cats and dogs,” West said. “Hopefully, they can make clear choices when they leave here, you know, that they choose more plant-based foods and start to leave animals off their plates.

“It’s also the No. 1 polluter of the environment. It’s a reason for the destruction of the rainforest. We’re killing our planet to have cheap meat, and it’s a shame. So if we give a little education, hopefully, people can make more informed decisions about what they eat.”

At the same time, Boo at the Roo will focus on fun from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on both days.

“We’ll have decorations for Halloween, and it’ll be family-friendly and won’t be terrifying,” she said.

Tickets are required, and they may be purchased in advance at rooterville.org.