While Halloween is spooky for the kids, it’s especially scary for our four-legged friends.
According to Kelsey MacNeil, the PG Humane Society’s Animal Behaviour Coordinator, there are several things about Halloween that can really spook pets.
“The first thing that’s really important is to bring your pets inside, long before the trick-or-treaters arrive, long before the fireworks, make sure the pet is safely indoors and has a safe, snuggly spot to hole up and feel safe,” she said.
“Your dog is going to need to go outside at some point in the evening, so make sure your gates are latched, the wind can blow them open, and go outside with your dog on a leash.”
MacNeil added the Humane Society does hear from pet owners that went outside to do their business and took off because they were frightened by a firework or something else.
“There’s also some great over-the-counter stress release supplements that can be helpful in dogs that go straight into panic mode with fireworks,” she said.
“A thunder-shirt is a really good investment for nights like this, it’s a shirt that wraps around super snuggly around your dog and helps them feel a lot safer.”
Candies and chocolates may be a good treat for the children, but they can be very harmful to pets.
“Keep [candy] out of reach, dogs they don’t mind chewing through a pillow case or a bag of candy to get at what they want,” MacNeil said.
“Keep it out of reach above their nose level, especially for smaller dogs. Big dogs if they eat a tiny little bit of milk chocolate it’s probably going to be okay. We really want to be careful with dark chocolate, smaller dogs ingesting a large amount is very much a concern.”
Something going on in the Prince George area you think people should know about?
Send us a news tip by emailing [email protected].
