Halloween can be a spooky time for our furry friends, with costumes, masks and a constant stream of strangers at the door. Wildlife should also be considered during this festive season. To ensure your pets stay safe and sound, follow these essential tips:
• Avoid Halloween treats: Do not feed your pets any Halloween treats. Certain foods, like raisins, can lead to kidney failure, while chocolate and xylitol (found in sugar-free candies and gum) are toxic to pets. It's hard to tell what harmful ingredients might be in treats just by looking at them.
• Watch Your Kids! Children may unknowingly share their loot with pets. Make sure they understand the difference between treats for themselves and those for their four-legged friends.
• Ensure identification: Make sure your pets have proper identification, such as a microchip, collar, and ID tag. This will make it easier for someone to contact you if your pet escapes through an open door while you’re busy with trick-or-treaters.

• Keep decorations out of reach: Keep lit candles (consider using LED candles), jack-o-lanterns, and other Halloween decorations out of your pets’ reach to prevent accidents. Other potentially dangerous decorations include rubber eyeballs (choking risk), glow sticks and fake blood (possible poisons), fake cobwebs (which can choke or entangle pets and wildlife), and potpourri (toxic to birds).
• Choose costumes wisely: If you decide to dress up your pet, ensure the costume: Fits properly and is comfortable, has no small parts that can be chewed off or swallowed, and does not obstruct your pet’s sight, hearing, breathing, or movement. Take time to help your pet get used to the costume before Halloween, and never leave a costumed pet unsupervised.
• Create a safe space: If your pet is anxious around strangers or tends to bite, consider keeping them in a separate room during trick-or-treating hours. Provide a safe hiding place where they can feel secure. If your dog is likely to dart out the front door and is comfortable in a crate, place them inside with a treat-filled toy and some soft music playing in the background. For cats, a spritz of feline pheromone spray can help keep them calm.
• Minimize noise: Consider sitting outside to greet trick-or-treaters, which can reduce doorbell rings and knocking.
• Keep pets indoors: Keeping your pets indoors during Halloween festivities will help prevent them from getting lost or overwhelmed by the chaos outside. The excitement and commotion can easily overstimulate dogs, leading to potential bites or escapes that could ruin the evening's fun.
For party hosts: If you’re hosting a Halloween party, keep your pets in their safe room, away from the festivities. Masks and costumes can change how people look and smell, making even familiar faces seem frightening to your pets. Make sure to put a sign on the door to the safe room so guests know it’s off-limits.
By following these tips, you can help ensure that Halloween is a fun and safe time for both you and your pets! Have a safe and Happy Halloween!
HEAR is a 501c3 nonprofit in Sublette County, Wyoming.