Halloween hazards are scary indeed for cats and dogs. We can ensure that fall festivities are a treat, not a trick, for animals by following these tips:

Keep animals indoors. Animals can become lost while fleeing the commotion and strangely dressed people, and people with evil intentions may be prowling for easy targets.

Stay with your animals in a quiet room, away from the door. The constant stream of costumed visitors is stressful for animals and provides an opportunity for them to slip out or even bite a trick-or-treater whom they mistake for an intruder.

Stash treats out of reach. Chocolate, raisins and candy wrappers can be deadly if animals eat them. Candles and jack-o-lanterns can cause burns and fires if knocked over, and party decorations can cause poisoning or digestive blockages if eaten, so keep them away from animals.

Costumes can impair animals' ability to see, move, and breathe, and they can contain dangerous small parts. Let animals be their naturally adorable selves instead of dressing them up.

For more ways to protect animals, visit PETA.org.


The PETA Foundation, Norfolk, Va.