It’s that spooky time of year again, when ghosts and ghouls are said to rise to roam the Earth, but Donegal’s Animals In Need are urging pet owners to keep their animals safe from dangers they could face in the more everyday realm this Halloween.
A spokesperson for the animal rescue charity said ‘Every year there are reports of animals falling victim to various atrocities at Halloween and shocking acts of cruelty to animals are known to escalate at this time of year.’
She continued ‘Black cats and kittens are particularly at risk, as are black animals in general, but the sensible thing to do is to keep your pets safely indoors, regardless of what colour they are.’
Animals In Need are offering the following tips to ensure your pets are safe during the festivities:
* Keep your pets indoors.
* Fireworks are not fun if you’re any type of animal and every year terrified pets are lost when they panic and run away due to fireworks going off so this is another good reason not to leave them outside.
* Do make sure to keep any trick or treat goody bags away from your dog. Most people are aware that chocolate is poisonous (and sometimes fatal) if eaten by dogs but artificial sweeteners such as Xylitol, which is found in other types of sweets, can also be very toxic to pets.
* Don’t forget to check that any lit Jack-o’-lanterns are placed out of the reach of your pets as they can easily get knocked over and no-one wants a singed or injured pet or a fire breaking out.
The spokesperson concluded ‘Wishing you a happy, safe Halloween from Animals In Need and let’s all make sure it doesn’t turn into a nightmare for our furry friends.’
