Help pets through festivities.

Byline: The Register-Guard

People may find Halloween exciting and deliciously scary, but many animals find the holiday terrifying.

Mike Wellington, manager of the Lane County Animal Regulation Authority, implores pet owners to take steps to keep their pets safe and happy during Halloween festivities.

"Halloween can be a very traumatic time for pets," Wellington said. "Even children familiar to them may be scary when they're dressed in costumes. In addition, Halloween is a change in daily routine, with doorbells ringing and people visiting."

Pets should be kept in a different room from Halloween entertaining and not taken trick-or-treating, he said. If a dog must be taken along, the owner should use a safety muzzle in case a frightened pet snaps at someone, he said.

Dark-colored or black cats seem to suffer a higher rate of injury or abuse around Halloween and should be given special protection, Wellington said.

He also recommends:

Isolate pets in a quiet room in the house if possible. Be especially careful that they don't dash outside with the frequent opening of doors for trick-or-treaters.

Don't let pets eat candy. Some, such as chocolate, can be fatal.

Be careful with fire; pets could get burned or knock over a flame, setting fire to other objects.

If dressing pets in costumes, make sure elastic or other fasteners don't interfere with breathing or blood flow. Don't use flammable materials and be sure the costume doesn't obstruct the animal's vision.