Posts Tagged ‘Cruelty around Halloween’

This blog will cover some of the dangers that your pet faces around Halloween. You can hire your pet sitter or dog walker to come and care for your pets while you take the kids out trick-or-treating or attend a Halloween party. I called the attention of Gwinnett County, which houses several cities such as Lawrenceville, Grayson, Snellville, Suwanee, Lilburn and many others, but this blog applies to everyone, not just this county, so listen up!

Your black pets are particularly targeted by pranksters around Halloween, so they should be kept inside through the entire month of October. There are some really cruel people out there that like to play “pranks” by doing things like skinning cats, among other horrific crimes. Year round the safest thing for your pet and to eliminate all danger, it is best that your pet stays indoors unless you are supervising them and have them leashed while outside. This takes all outside danger out of the equation and you never  have to worry about your pet.

Candy is another serious danger. The candy, especially chocolate, is toxic to pets and the aluminum wrappers can act like a razor blade if swallowed. This can cause internal damage, potentially killing your pet. Keep all candy stored in a safe place, removing temptation from your pets.

Fatty foods, cooked bones (chicken bones, etc), and alcohol are poisonous or dangerous as well. Make sure your Halloween party guests know not to feed your pet anything without asking you first.

When trick-or-treaters are coming and going, this can cause a lot of anxiety for your pet. You can designate a special “safe room” for your pet and keep them closed in the room so there is no chance of them freaking out and dashing out of the door. Your pet should have fresh water, favorite toys, their food if they are in there for a while, a comfortable place to lie down, and possibly even a radio or t.v. on to drown out some of the noises that scare them. If this isn’t available, just be sure that your pet is no where near the door when you open it.

Candles in Jack-o-Lanterns, on tables, or wherever you may burn them, should be kept in your sight at all times when your pet is around. If you leave the room, just blow it out and re-light it when you come back in. It only takes a second for a candle to be knocked over and not only is it a fire hazard, but your pet can be severely burned by the hot wax. The hot wax can also ruin any furniture, curtains, or carpeting that the hot wax spills on. Using electric powered Jack-o-Lanterns and candles is highly suggested.

Electrical cords should be taped or stapled down so that your pet doesn’t see it as something loose to play in. It takes very little for a pet’s teeth to go through a cord and get electrocuted. Remember the cat from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation?!

Dogs, no matter how normally docile, can see kids in costumes and perceive them as a threat or become extremely frightened. Crating your dog or putting them in a “safe room” will prevent any problems from occuring. Some of those costumes are pretty creepy, so I can see why a dog may freak out and lash out at a child in costume. Preventing this from happening is up to you and your family.

If you are dressing your pet up in a costume, please supervise them at all times. They can be entangled and this can result in falling, strangling, or other ways of hurting themselves. Keep in mind that a costume can take away a lot of your pet’s normal freedom of movement, such as jumping, running, sometimes even walking. If your pet appears uncomfortable in a costume, then they are. Snap your picture and take the costume off of your pet.

I’m sure that I left plenty out, but this is a good start. Please add to the safety tips by leaving a comment. Feel free to leave your Halloween stories, we love to hear them! Have a safe and happy holiday season!

“Until one has loved an animal,  a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” ~Anatole France