Email
October 28, 2016
Dear Editor,
An inoffensive scare in Halloween can be fun, but nobody wants their beloved pet to become ill, get hurt or much less die during the festivities. We can make Halloween a treat instead of a trick for our cats and dogs by following some simple precautionary measures.
Many animals can’t resist sweets – wrappers and all – which contain toxic ingredients such as chocolate or xylitol. Let’s keep all sweets out of their reach, as well as candles and pumpkin lanterns, which can cause burns or fires if they overturn.
Generally, dressing-up isn’t fun for animals because the costumes can limit their ability to see, move or breathe, and some are simply uncomfortable. They can also choke if they chew small parts of the costumes or strangle themselves if they become tangled up. We should leave the costumes for children and let our animals be adorable just as they are.
Dressed-up visitors that come to our doors can make even the friendliest animals become frightened and susceptible to biting someone or running away. Let’s keep our pets away from the front door and make sure they have their microchip and have identification collars with up-to-date information, just in case.
Sasscha Camilli
PETA Foundation
