CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) — Halloween is right around the corner, and now is a good time to begin thinking about safety for our furry friends during the Halloween season.
While some pets may enjoy greeting visitors, others may find the season stressful, and some aspects of the holiday can be downright dangerous to pets.
“Keep your candy inaccessible to your pets,” Debbie Stephens, board member and secretary at Tri-County Animal Rescue Center, told exploreClarion.com.
“Chocolate is obviously bad for dogs, but other kinds of candy can be dangerous, too, and even the wrappers can be dangerous and can cause blockage in a pet’s intestine.”
The risk of pets munching on things they shouldn’t extends beyond just the candy, though. Stephens noted that everything from corn cobs and decorative cobwebs to glow sticks can cause serious health problems if an animal decides to take a taste.
Costumes on pets can also pose a similar danger.
“Watch for small pieces, things they could bite off and swallow, especially if it’s something that’s not a specific pet-safe costume,” Stephens said.
“Also, check for things they could get tangled on or trip on.”
For individuals who are handing out candy to Trick-or-Treaters, Stephens recommends keeping pets in a separate room, away from the hustle and bustle, to avoid the possibility of an inadvertent escape, or a less than ideal interaction with a child.
“Whether they’re at home or going out, make sure your pets have their tags on in case they do get away from you,” she added.
One other danger that some people may not consider is actually the danger of fire from pets playing with jack-o-lanterns.
“Use the battery operated tea lights instead of candles, especially anywhere a pet could get to them. Otherwise, you could end up with a fire.”
Stephens noted that she was aware of at least one case, a number of years ago, of a dog knocking over a candle-lit jack-o-lantern and causing a fairly serious fire.
“The ended up with significant damage, and the dog and the person trying to get the dog away were both injured. It’s just not worth the risk when you can buy the battery-operated lights.”
The Humane Society of the United States also recommends keeping pets at home in a separate quiet room, or a room with music playing, on Halloween to help reduce the chance of runaway incidents or excess stress for pets.
The ASPCA recommends that if individuals suspect their pet has ingested something toxic, call a veterinarian or the ASPCA Poison Control Center at 888-426-4435 immediately.
One other issue that often comes up around Halloween is the issue surrounding black cats. From symbolism to superstition to urban legends of animal cruelty, black cats are almost synonymous with the holiday, leaving them in an interesting place.
According to the Humane Society of the United States, shelters and rescues all over the U.S. make statements each year saying they will not adopt out any black cats during October due to fears of the animals being used as costume accessories or, far worse, as the victims of Halloween pranks or even ritual sacrifices.
The organization notes that while terrible cruelty cases, like animal sacrifice, can happen, these incidents are actually very rare, and it is unlikely that people willing to take the time to go through a shelter’s adoption process with that motive in mind.
According to Stephens, Tri-County Animal Rescue does not place any prohibition on the adoption of black cats around Halloween.
“Black cats are hard enough to home, anyway, and we think our screening process is good. We always check references and meet with people, so we are attentive to it, and we’ve never had any problems.”
