Halloween decorations

Please be careful with jack-o-lanterns, candles, fake spider webs, and other decorations.  Instead of regular candles, use the battery operated ones to light the jack-o-lanterns and other holiday items.

If your pets ingest the decorations they may become ill, and if they knock over a lit candle they may get burned or start a fire.
 
Halloween can be a fun day for all of your family members – two and four legged – if everyone remains safe.  Have a Happy Halloween!

Pets and Halloween Candy

Tell the children not to share their candy with the family pet.  Chocolate can be toxic to animals – causing vomiting, restlessness, heart issues, or even death.  If you think your dog or cat has eaten chocolate, please contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.  Wrappers and lollipop sticks should be discarded into the garbage as they can be hazardous to your pet if swallowed by causing intestinal obstructions and even perforating the intestines, which is life-threatening.

Trick-or-treating tips

If you are escorting children for trick-or-treating, leave your pets at home. Dogs can get excited and stressed when encountering all these "strange laughing, squealing" creatures and may become agitated enough to snap at a young child. If you must take your dog with you, keep it on a short non-retractable leash and away from large groups of children and other pets.

Pet costumes

If you decide to dress your pet in a costume, please make sure it is lightweight and non-constricting. Don't use rubber bands, as they can constrict blood flow if too tight, can become entangled in an animal's fur, and may even be left mistakenly on the pet. Do not leave him/her in the costume unattended as they could chew it up and ingest harmful materials or become entangled and choke.

More Halloween Safety tips

Please keep your pets inside as they may become easily agitated or frightened by the kids, costumes, and loud noises.  By keeping them secluded in a quiet room away from all the activity, you can ensure that they do not escape through an open door.  You could give your pet food, water, and even some special treats or a safe toy to play with while they are in the room. Please have collars and tags for identification on them, just in case they do manage to escape!

Keep cats inside several days prior to and the night of Halloween. Sadly cats are often the victims of pranksters’ cruel tricks.

Make sure you walk your dog early in the evening, to avoid the crowds.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is a great time of the year for children and adults alike – as we look forward to fun, costumes, trick-or-treating, and candy!  Unfortunately it can be especially stressful and pose hazards for your beloved pets.  

A great alternative to having the trick-or-treaters come to the front door and ringing the bell would be to have a station with a table, chairs and candy set up at the end of the driveway.  This way the pets are inside and not upset by the constant bell-ringing. This also does not provide a chance for them to slip out the door and they do not get nervous with the different costumes.