SPCA of Monterey County Provides Halloween Safety Tips for Pet Owners

 

SPCA Monterey County urges pet owners to take some simple precautions to safeguard their pets this Halloween:

    Pets should be kept indoors and preferably confined to an area of the home where they cannot escape.  Multiple strangers in costume at your door can be very stressful for your pet.  Pets might slip out the front door unexpectedly or become frightened and bite.

    Pets should always have a current license, ID tag, and microchip so they can be returned in the event they escape from your home.

    If you plan to dress your pet up for Halloween, practice first to get your pet used to the costume. Some pets simply don’t like costumes, so don’t force it. Make sure it’s easy to take off if your pet becomes scared and has breakaway parts (like velcro). Always keep your pet under your control when he is in costume.

    Do not use the stretchy cotton or polyester spiderweb decoration outside, as they trap hummingbirds, bats, raptors, and small songbirds, causing injury or death, and recently even tangled around a local buck. This is a good indoor-only decoration. 

    Keep lit pumpkins, candles, and decorations away from animals. Companion animals can knock them over and cause fires or injure themselves.

    Candy should be kept away from curious pets and should never be given to animals.  Chocolate can be deadly to pets and tin foil and cellophane wrappers can be hazardous if swallowed.

To learn about your SPCA Monterey County and see more safety tips, please visit www.SPCAmc.org.

Attached photos: Adoptable bearded dragon Ozzie and adoptable ball python Oliver (dressed as a cowboy for Halloween)

SPCA Monterey County is your nonprofit, independent, donor-supported humane society that has been serving the animals and people of Monterey County since 1905. The SPCA is not a chapter of any other agency and does not have a parent organization.  They shelter homeless, neglected and abused pets and livestock, and provide humane education and countless other services to the community. They are the local agency you call to investigate animal cruelty, rescue and rehabilitate injured wildlife, and aid domestic animals in distress.