Halloween Safety Tips from the Chemung County SPCA

10/23/2009 12:00:00 AM

Ghosts, goblins and black cats, must be time for Halloween. The Chemung County Humane Society and SPCA, Inc. wants to encourage your family to practice animal safety this Halloween. Here are a few tips to keep your furry friends safe:

1. Don't leave your pet in the yard on Halloween - with the large number of unknown people in the neighborhood, your animal is safer inside.  If left outside, your cat or dog could get teased, hurt, spooked or might run away. 
2. Trick-or-treat candies are not for pets - chocolate is poisonous to a lot of animals, and tin foil and cellophane candy wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.
3. Be careful of pets around a lit pumpkin - pets may knock it over and cause a fire.  Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned.
4. Don't dress the dog or cat in costume unless you know he or she loves it.  Otherwise, it puts a lot of stress on your animal.
5. All but the most social dogs should be kept in a separate room during trick-or-treat visiting hours; too many strangers in costumes can be very scary for animals. Also, you may know that the child under that scary costume is harmless, but your pet does not.
6. Be careful that your dog or cat doesn't dart outside when you open the door for trick-or-treaters.  Be sure all pets are wearing a collar and ID tags in case of accidental escape.

For more information, contact the Chemung County Humane Society and SPCA at 607-732-1827.