When Your Dog Becomes a Scaredy Cat on Halloween: Helpful Tips to Keep Him Safe

Here are a few Halloween pet safety tips from paw-rescue.org:

Take A Walk

Take your dog on his daily walk before the kids start ringing the doorbells. Dogs can become frightened by the costumes.

Secure Your Pet In A Safe Place

Put your pet in a secure place in your home while trick-or-treaters stop by. You do not want to risk your dog or cat getting loose and running out the door, potentially harming himself or others in the process.

It is especially important to put a dog with aggressive tendencies or fear of loud noises into a quiet room as far away from the front door as possible. Do this at least a half an hour before the trick-or-treaters begin arriving.

Make Sure Your Pet Has Current ID

In the event your pet does run out of the house, make sure he has an up-to-date I.D. tag on his collar.

Keep Pets Indoors

Keep your dog or cat inside during the witching hours. The parade of people passing by could frighten or agitate him. Plus, there have been reports of people abusing animals left outside during this time.

Leaving dogs outside can lead to constant barking and howling. Keep cats (especially black cats) inside as well.

Keep Pets Away From Halloween Treats

With a steady stream of trick-or-treaters at your door, it’s easy to get distracted.  Keep pets away from the candy bowl, wrappers, candles, and other decorations.

Pet Costumes Are Cute, But….

While costumes are cute on pets, they can do more harm than good. Think twice before doing this, and make sure the pet can breathe, see and hear.

Make sure the costume is flame retardant and remove any small accessories or dangling pieces that could be chewed and/or swallowed. Do not use any rubber bands, as those can cut off a pet’s circulation.

Some dogs and a few cats tolerate wearing costumes, but don’t force it on a pet.  No one likes to be uncomfortable, including our pets.