Travis Dosser
10/30/2012
 Halloween is almost upon us and that means trick-or-treaters, pumpkins, decorations and candy.
Shawna Randolph with the Edmonton Humane Society says with all the sights, sounds and treats around, your pets may be a little overwhelmed.
"Put your pet out of the action, keep them safe," explains Randolph. "In many cases people worry that their pet may not be happy being out of the action for a couple hours, but you really need to know it is the best thing for your pet. You don't want there to be a slip up or problem and have it lead to a tragedy."
She says dogs may feel stressed because of trick-or-treaters and the door constantly opening and closing.
"It really only takes a second for a pet to be startled and then taking off," explains Randolph. "If you're planning on going out with your children, if you're doing that, don't take your pets. Just keep your pet at home where it is safe."
Randolph says you may have a great costume for your pet, which EHS thinks is OK, as long as the pet can see and breathe properly, but you should not have them greeting trick-or-treaters.
"A lot of people want to have the pet greeting people at the door, but really put your pet away from the action," explains Randolph. "We don't want a situation where pets are scared and they just bolt out, and you definitely don't want to be put in that position."
Randolph says another good tip for the holiday is to keep pumpkins out of a pets reach.
She says a lit pumpkin can look appealing to a pet, and they may knock it over, which could lead to a fire.
Another important tip is to remind your kids to keep their candy out of your pets reach. Chocolate can be a death sentence for a dog and Randolph says many pets may be enticed by the shiny wrappers.
She says keep candy up and out of reach so you don't have to rush your pet to the vet on this spooky holiday. (twd)
Photo: Edmonton Humane Society
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Edmonton Humane Society
Halloween Tips for pet owners
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