How do you explain the Freddie Krueger look to your dog?

      As fun as Halloween can be to children, it’s a potentially dangerous holiday to pets.

      Dog trainer Peggy Moran of Lemont, IL says, “I realize that some dogs and cats are very social and enjoy people coming to the door. It’s a calculated risk, what if that kid in the Freddie Krueger mask sneezes, scares the dog and the dog lunges at the boy in the costume? Or if the cat bolts outside? Personally, I don’t like taking risks. You can minimize the risk by keeping your dog on a leash and the cat on a harness.”

      Of course, you can further minimize any risk by keeping the pets off in another room all together. But don’t keep the dog in the yard on Halloween. It’s a no win situation. Moran says. “If the dog loves kids, the dog will bark and bark. If the dog is anxious because of the kids, the dog will bark and bark.” 

      Indoors/outdoor cats should absolutely never be allowed to roam outdoors in the days leading up to Halloween, or especially on the holiday itself. “It seems some cats are used for satanic purposes or just pranks,” says Kari Winters, an author and dog and cat rescuer from Los Angeles. Some shelters and humane societies don’t adopt black cats from mid-October through Halloween.

      The Anti-Cruelty Society (ACS) in Chicago was once one of those shelters. ACS president Dr. Gene Mueller says, “Certainly, we worry, even if it seems at least a part of the fear (about abuse of black cats) might just be urban myth. The truth is that animals are abused 365 days a year.” One justifiable  concern are black cats used for parties or even local organized Halloween events, and then either left to fend for themselves or returned to the shelter.

      ACS now allows for adoption of black cats near Halloween since all adoptees are carefully screened. However, Mueller adds, “To be honest if a person specifically comes in for a black cat near Halloween, we’ll have a heightened suspicion.”

      Another image of Halloween is dressing up the family to go trick or treating. Some pet seem suited to join in the fun, others may look humiliated dressed in a costume, and that’s because they probably are, says Mueller.

      Moran adds, “To my dogs, wearing a costume is as customary as wearing a dog collar or a seat belt.” She adds, her children love dressing up the dogs, and the dogs actually relish the attention. “My neighbors give the kids candy and the dogs biscuits.”

      She points out pet costumes should never inhibit breathing, or their ability to walk or relieve themselves. And there should be reflective material on the costume if the pooch is trick or treating at night. A few years back her family’s miniature dachshund, named Lassie, dressed up as a hot dog; Cody, a German shepherd dog dressed as a Ninja warier, and Fi-Fi the standard poodle was an Egyptian.

      Moran adds, “After all, it’s Halloween, and yes these days you have to worry about everyone being safe, including your pets. But you can still have fun.” 

Here are some additional Halloween safety tips

• Candy, especially chocolate, is dangerous to pets.
• If you burn candles, a cat jumping, curious ferret, wacky puppy or passing bird could cause a fire.
• Scented candles are dangerous to sensitive respiratory systems of birds and may even cause death.