The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County wants to caution people that Halloween can be a terrifying and potentially dangerous time for pets.
While many people will enjoy the costumes and candy, these things can be hazardous for pets.
To us, Halloween is fun – scary, but fun. To our pets, its just scary – all those strange strange costumes and visitors, said Bob Walter, education director for The Humane Society. Do your friend a kind deed and spare them from the fright. Keep them safe.
To ensure the safety of your pets, The Humane Society recommends that you take these precautions this Halloween:
– Keep pets inside your home in a room or space, with their favorite toy, that will not allow them access to the front door and other Halloween activities. Be sure that your pets are wearing their collars with identification tags in case they do escape. Black cats can be the target of cruelty (feline hate crime?) on this holiday, so people with black cats should be extra careful about keeping their cats safe at home during this time.
– Resist the urge to bring the family dog along for trick-or-treating. Dogs may become excited and scared and therefor difficult to restrain. A lost dog or dog bite is a quick way to ruin the holiday festivities.
– Keep candy out of reach of your pets, even when they look at you with those big sad eyes. Candy can be harmful to your pet, even deadly.
– Keep pets away from decorations or keep your decorations away from your pets. Flames in pumpkins can singe and/or burn a pets fur. Treat other decorations as potential hazards, as choking and becoming tangled are common occurrences.
– And finally, keep in mind that pets dont really enjoy the confinement of a costume so much as the owner likes to dress them up in one. Plus, the other animals in the neighborhood will make fun of your pet.
Respect your pet and keep them safe and happy this Halloween.
For more information on how to ensure the safety of your pets this holiday season, please contact Bob Walter at 253/284-5814.
