Halloween Safety for Pets
Halloween is a fun holiday for children and adults alike. But with lots of Trick-or-Treaters in costumes and masks, it can be a scary night for our companion animals. To help ensure your pet’s safety on Halloween, John Perreault, Executive Director of the Berkshire Humane Society, makes the following suggestions:
* Keep your pets indoors and in a quiet secure room during Trick-or-Treating. When you’re greeting those fairies princesses, goblins, or pirates at the front door, it’s so easy for a pet to become frightened and bolt outside.
* Be sure your pets have proper identification. If your dog or cat does escape and gets lost, having a collar with a tag or being micro chipped will increase the chances of bringing him or her home to you. (Licenses are also important!)
* Keep candy and other treats away from your pets. White chocolate is especially dangerous for dogs, candy that contains the artificial sweetener Xylitol can be problematic for all animals. Watch those candy wrappers too.
* Encourage polite 'meet and greets' with your dog. If you take your dog Trick-or-Treating, remember that kids in costumes running up to your dog can be scary. So ask them to approach your dog slowly and quietly to keep everyone safe! Better yet – consider leaving him or her at home.
On Halloween, enjoy the festivities while keeping all your companion animals safe and happy!
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Pets
