No tricks, no treats: Chocolate in all forms—especially dark or baking chocolate—can be very dangerous for dogs and cats. Sweets containing the artificial sweetener xylitol can be poisonous to dogs, even small amounts can cause a sudden drop in blood sugar.


Popular Halloween plants such as pumpkins are considered to be relatively nontoxic, yet they can produce gastrointestinal upset should pets ingest them. Intestinal blockage could even occur if large pieces are swallowed.


All but the most social dogs and cats should be kept in a separate room away from the front door during peak trick-or-treat visiting hours. Too many strangers can be scary and stressful for pets.


Keep wires and cords from electric lights and other decorations out of reach of your pets. If chewed, your pet could experience damage to his mouth from shards of glass or plastic, or receive a possibly life-threatening electrical shock.


Walk your dog before trick-or-treaters start their visits.  Keep a firm grip of the lead, as many dogs are frightened by people in costumes

IDs! Always make sure your dog or cat has proper identification. If for any reason your pet escapes and becomes lost, a collar and tags and a microchip can increase the chances that he or she will be returned to you


Dress-up can be a big mess-up for some pets. Please don't put your dog or cat in a costume UNLESS you know he or she loves it.  For pets who prefer their “birthday suits,” however, wearing a costume can cause undue stress. If you do dress up your pet, make sure the costume isn't annoying or unsafe. It should not constrict the animal's movement or hearing, or impede his ability to breathe, bark or meow.

A carved pumpkin certainly is festive, but do exercise extreme caution if you choose to add a candle. Pets can easily knock a lit pumpkin over and cause a fire. Curious kittens especially run the risk of getting burned or singed by candle flames.


Keep dogs and cats in-doors.  It’s a bad idea to leave dogs out in your garden; in addition to the trick or treaters frightening and agitating them, there have been reports of taunting, poisoning and pet thefts.


Pets have hearing that’s thousands of times more sensitive than humans: if you find fireworks annoying, just imagine how your pet feels about them. Make sure that sensitive pets have a safe, secure den to hide in. A good example would be a central heating boiler room: it’s warm and comfortable, and the ongoing hum of the boiler helps to drown out any noises of fireworks in the background.