Safety
If you have a friendly, sociable dog who likes people (especially children), gets along well with other dogs, and is comfortable wearing a costume, there are many pet parades and costume contests to enjoy this season, without the risks associated with halloween night itself.
On Halloween night the best way to keep pets safe is to keep them inside the home. Outside in the yard or with the kids trick-or-treating, the groups of ghosts or goblins can scare pets. If they escape, they could fall victim to possible abuse by misguided individuals.
If you take your pet trick-or-treating, it will be easier to keep control of your pet if you use a short leash.
If you keep them at home, confine them away from the front door, preferably in a separate room. Pets, especially dogs, are easily excitable or threatened by strangers. You will probably be opening the door many times during the evening, providing many chances for your pet to slip outside. Confining dogs to a closed room will also eliminate the possibility of their getting scared and biting a stranger.
Remind your entire family that they should not any candy with pets, especially chocolate. Chocolate is toxic for animals and can cause vomiting, restlessness, heart disturbances, and even death.
Please note:
Take extra precautions if you own a black cat by confining it in your house several days before Halloween. The mythology about black cats and witches could lead some people to abduct your black cat and worse, do harmful things to them. Even kids who mean no harm may yell at or chase a black cat, creating problems for you in the future.
When buying a Halloween costume for your pet its very important to select the size that fits your pet. An ill fitting costume can endanger your pet by restricting vision, impairing breathing, causing tripping, etc. The proper fit is not just for comfort – safety is a major issue.
Make sure your cat or dog wears a current animal license tag on its collar. If your pet it lost, it is 10 times more likely to be returned to you if your pet is wearing a license tag.
As with any pet toy or costume, it is recommended that your pet not be left with or in any costume unattended.
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If you are getting a Halloween costume for your pet, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has some safety tips:
- A costume should not constrict an animal’s movement or hearing.
- It should not impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow.
- Try costumes on a pet before the big event. If your pet seems distressed, allergic or shows abnormal behavior, consider letting him go in his or her birthday suit or switching to a festive bandanna.
- Inspect your pet’s costume and make sure it doesn’t have small, dangling or easily chewed-off pieces that he or she could choke on.
- Poorly fitting outfits can get twisted on external objects or your pet, leading to injury.
- A pet should always wear an identification tag.