Each Halloween you need to consider your pets’ safety and welfare both inside and outside the home and the GSPCA has put this advice page together to help islanders and animals.
Your pet has many challenges with trick-or-treaters, fireworks, bonfires, and all the sweet treats around over the next two weeks.
The coming days can be very stressful to your pets, including fireworks or bonfires and here are a few tips to help your pet over the coming days.
It is important to ensure your pet is microchipped or has some form of identification as at the GSPCA we often see a spike in the number of stray animals found as those startled or scared escape.
Dogs and Cats
Where possible walk your dog during the day as over Halloween there is the potential of busy foot paths and walk ways with the trick-or-treaters
Take care where you put the sweets being handed out or collected if you are taking part with trick-or-treat. Chocolate can be extremely toxic to dogs so care must be taken where you store or place it.
If using candles take great care where and how these are used. You can now buy excellent LED candles that are much safer to use for you and your pet but please still keep safely away from your pet as they may try to chew them.
If your pet is showing signs of fear do not react or make a fuss as this will make matters worse. As difficult as it may be, try to ignore fearful behaviour.
Steps can be taken to minimise the stress caused to pets by training them in the run up to the Halloween festivities. This can involve training like playing sounds of fireworks at lower volumes and rewarding your pet for calm behaviour, slowly increasing the volume leading up to Halloween.
Consult your vet or animal behaviourist for advice.
Anxiety in your animals can be reduced by altering feeding regimes. Feeding later in the evening will encourage the animal to eat during anxiety triggering periods.
Licking objects such as Kongs filled with tasty treats will help reduce stress. We sell a selection here at the GSPCA
Playing with your pets can be effective in reducing stress if they are up for a game. If not, do not try to force them.
To reduce the risk of your pet escaping when people call to the door, please ensure that they are in a secure room of the house where they can’t slip out of an open door. A good idea is to leave a TV or radio on to drown out some of the noise of fireworks and children calling to the door.
If you pet is truly terrified of fireworks and you are concerned about them, you may want to consult with your vet in advance, and ask them about training or medication to help with your pets’ stress. We also sell products at the GSPCA that can help reduce the stress of your pet during this upsetting time.
Halloween decorations can be chewed or swallowed, so when you are enjoying the festivities, please keep everything away from your animals.
If you are thinking of dressing your pet up for Halloween please consider their welfare and safety. Please do not let them get stressed if you do decide to put them in fancy dress it is recommended it is done only for a short period and you ensure their costume is safe to wear with no objects they can chew or get tangled in.
Small Animals
Small animals and birds normally housed outside should ideally be moved into a garage or shed. If this is not possible cover hutches or cages with blankets or carpet to act as sound-proofing.
Provide increased amounts of bedding for extra security.
Equines
Horses, ponies and donkeys that live in areas where there is a considerable amount of Halloween related noise should be securely stabled to prevent them from escaping or doing damage to themselves.
Wildlife
Halloween can be a dangerous time for the Guernsey wildlife as well, so do your part to keep hedgehogs and other animals safe.
Hedgehogs are beginning to hibernate at this time of year, and frequently do so in wood piles or heavy brush. If you are lighting a bonfire, please check all wood, scrub and leaves for hibernating hedgehogs.
Also this time of year with the winter drawing in putting food and water out for our bird life is extremely helpful to help them with the coming lean months.
Steve Byrne GSPCA Manager said “Over the next two week with Halloween and the firework period we need to ensure our pets and wildlife are kept safe here in Guernsey.”
“At the GSPCA we have online advice or you are welcome to pop in or call us on 257261 to help your animals over the next few weeks.”
“It is extremely important that we keep pets safe and calm on Halloween and Bonfire night as well as the days either side as we have seen animals in the past become lost and in one circumstance never found.”
“Please remember to keep pets confined in a safe area, away from the front door, sweets and treats, candles, and other hazards. “
“At the GSPCA we are holding Halloween tours and a treasure hunt each day over the weekend and a Halloween Ball on Saturday and please do get in touch if you are interested.”
"Over the next few weeks if you see any animals in Guernsey that are cruelly treated during this stressful time for pets please do call us on 257261."
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