AC Pup: A few tips for keeping pets safe during Halloween
It's time for ghosts and goblins to wander in your neighborhood looking for treats around dark tonight. They'll be bearing buckets they hope to fill with all kinds of sugary goodies, particularly chocolate.
But not everybody is crazy about Halloween, especially animals. In fact, your pets may be totally unsettled with the chaos of the evening and by seeing strangers dressed in creepy costumes. So while you're getting ready for the fun tonight please take a moment to consider the safety of your pets.
The first important safety tip for your pets is to please leave them inside at home while the kids are venturing out. And it's crucial to put them inside early, especially if you have a black cat. Black kitties are often the targets of Halloween tricks, so if you have one, please make sure you put it inside now.
Since you may be frequently opening the exterior door to your house tonight, it's important that your dog or cat does not have free reign of the house. To prevent him from bolting out of the door when trick-or-treaters arrive, designate a room for your pet that is considered a quiet space where he may be confined and feel safe. The door to the quiet room should be securely closed and only opened when the Halloween festivities are over at the end of the night.
Provide some sound such as television or radio in the quiet room your pet is located to distract him from the frequent sound of the doorbell. You may even want to think about covering your doorbell so the guests will be required to knock instead.
Make sure your pet is wearing a collar with a legible identification tag while he's inside the house. I've lost count of the number of pets reported to me that have escaped from their homes without wearing identification. So even though you don't plan on taking your pet out, please make sure he is wearing adequate identification.
The other big safety tip is about the candy. Here's an easy thing to remember: candy and pets do not mix, and pets, especially dogs, are candy thieves. I hate to talk about my own kind like that, but it's true. I would snatch a Baby Ruth and run as soon as my mom turned her head if I could.
And it's not just that candy shouldn't be in our diets, chocolate can actually be deadly to pets. Depending on the type of chocolate, the weight of the pet and the amount eaten, the outcome could be devastating.
Because we're candy thieves we're always looking for an opportunity to grab the forbidden treat when our parents least expect it. So please keep the candy dish out of our reach, and when the kids come home with their buckets of chocolaty, sugary delights, please keep it away from anyone furry in your home.
With these safety tips in place at your house tonight to protect your cherished pet, Halloween should be a fun and delicious event. Enjoy!
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This story was originally published October 30, 2015 at 9:46 PM with the headline "AC Pup: A few tips for keeping pets safe during Halloween ."